A.^-3  :   n 


U.S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

DIVISION    0  I'    ENTOMOLOGY. 

lil    l.l.KTIN     \(>.     1-1. 


K  K  1M)  RTS 


OBSERVATIONS  AND  EXPERIMENTS 


IN 


THE  PRACTICAL  WOltK  <>F  THE  DIVISION 


MAPI 


UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  "K  THE  ENTOMOLOGIST. 


Wash  l  NGTON: 

OOTEBN3IENT    PRINTING    OPFIOB. 
1887. 


L 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE. 

division    OF    BNTOMOLOGT. 

Ill   I.I.KTIN     \«>.     14. 


1!  E  IM)  RTS 


Ol 


OBSERVATIONS  AND  EXPERIMENTS 


IS 


THE  PRACTICAL  WORK  OF  THE  DIVISION. 


UNDER  THE  DIRECTION  OF  THE  ENTOMOLOGIST. 


WASH]  NCTOV: 
GOV  E  ENMENT    PB1  N  I'  I  N  G   OFFICE. 

1  887. 
22340— No.  1  I 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2013 


http://archive.org/details/observaOOusde 


LETTER  OF  SUBMITTAL. 


U.  8.  Department  op  Agriculture, 

Division  op  Entomology, 
Washington,  J>.  V ,  May  30,  L887. 
Sir:  I  have  the  honor  to  submit  for  publication  Bulletin  No.  14 of 
the  Division  of  Entomology,  containing  certain  reports  of  agents  and 
other  matter  additional  to  that  contained  in  Bulletin  13,  and  excluded 
from  in y  animal  report  from  lack  of  Space. 
Respectfully, 

0.  v.  RELEY, 

Entomologist. 

Hon.  iNoRM  \N  J.  COLMAN, 

Commissioner  of  Agriculture, 


CONTENTS. 


hit  roil  net  ion 7 

Report  OH  Insects  injurious  to  Garden  Crops  in  Florida '.) 

Report  on  Buffalo  Gnata '-J 

Native  Pinnae.     How  to  fruit  them.    They  are  claimed  to  l>e  practically  onrou- 

Uo-proof 39 

The  Sertoli  automatic  Si  Ik- reel "ri 


[NTR0D1  OTIOtf. 

ThiB  Bulletin  contains  matter  referring  to  the  season  Of  1886,  addi- 
tional to  thai  already  published. 

Mr.  Aahmead'a  report  on  insects  affecting  garden  cropa  in  Florida  is 
ncccssanh  \er.\  incomplete,  .is  it  represents  only  four  months'  field  ob» 
Bervations,  and  as  the  subjecl  is  one  of  no  inconsiderable  magnitude 
.Mr.  Ashinead's  work  was  stopped  September  1st  on  account  of  the  re 
dnction  in  the  appropriations. 

Mr.  Webster's  report  on  Buffalo  Gnats  is  in  the  main  the  results  of 
work  in  March  and  April,  1886.  It  contains  many  interesting  details 
m   addition   to  the  more  important   observations  which  are,  quoted  in 

onr  own  article  on  the  subjecl  in  the  annual  report.     It  is  also  due  to 

Mi.  Webster  to  say  that  the  investigations  since  made,  and  especially 
those  by  himself  the  present  year,  have  added  materially  to  our  exact 
knowledge  on  the  subject. 

In  reference  to  Mr.  \\'ier*s  article  on  the  curculio-proof  nature  of  the 
native  plums  and  his  explanation  thereof  we  wish  to  be  understood  as 
in  no  way  indorsing  either  the  statements  or  conclusions  <>f  'he  paper. 
Mr.  Wier  is  an  old  friend  and  correspondent  and  has  written  much  of 
late  upon  this  question.  He  claimed  to  have  abundant  personal  evi- 
dence of  the  wihl  plums  being  proof  against  Conotrachclus  nenuphar 
by  virtue  of  the  eggs  failing  to  hatch  therein.  This  was  an  important 
matter,  bearing  directly  on  economic  entomology,  ami,  as  we  have  often 
been  asked  for  our  opinion  as  to  the  immunity  of  these  wild  plums,  we 
engaged  Mr.  Wier  to  prepare  a  statement  of  his  evidence.  His  two 
main  claims  are  (1)  that  these  wild  plum  trees  are  unfruitful,  except 
where  the  (lowers  receive  the  pollen  from  other  varieties:  (2)  that  the 
female  <  urculio  prefers  their  fruit  for  purposes  of  oviposition,  but  thai 
the  egg  fails  to  hatch  therein  or  the  larva  perishes  after  hatching.  The 
lirst  point  belongs  to  economic  botany,  or  rather  pomology,  and  while 
we  consider  that  it  is  disproved  alike  by  historical  and  botanical  evi- 
dence and  general  experience  we  leave  it  with  the  horticulturist  to  deal 
with  more  fully.    With  regard  to  the  second  point  we  confess  that  the 

reading  of  Mr.  Wier's  essay  has  brought   no  sens-'  of  his  theory  being 
well  sustained   or  of  its   general   truthfulness.       Yet.  for  the  reasons 
Stated,  we  have  decided   to  publish   the   paper   very  much  as  recei 
omitting  only  such  portions  as  dealt  with  well  known  and  trite  entomo- 
logical facts,  as  also  a  dissertation  on  grafting,  and  entering  our  die- 

7 


8 

sent  in  the  form  of  foot-note  where  the  statements  are  unjustified  from 
the  entomological  side. 

The  description  of  the  principles  and  mechanism  of  the  Serrell  auto- 
matic silk-reel  has  been  prepared  by  Mr.  Philip  Walker,  assistant  in 
charge  of  the  reeling  experiments  and  machinery  at  the  Department. 
It  will  be  found  useful  in  explaining  the  advantages  •which  that  deli- 
cate and  remarkable  invention  has  over  the  ordinary  reel  as  a  labor- 
saver,  though  no  amount  of  description  will  impress  the  fact  on  the 
mind  so  forcibly  as  a  few  moments'  observation  of  the  reel  at  work. 

C.  V.  K. 


REPORT  ON   INSECTS  INJURIOUS  TO  GARDEN  CROPS  IN  FLORIDA. 
Bj  Wm.   II.  &8HMB  \i>.  Sjpe<  ial  Agent. 

mm  i.i;   in     I  i:  vs-mi  i  i  ai  . 

.1  \.    KBOOT  III   R,    I'l    \., 

Septombei  2,  1881 
Dbab  8ih:  I  bays  the  honor  to  submit  herewith,  in  pursuance  to  your  instructions, 
i n>  report  on  ••  inaeota  injnriona  to  garden  orops"  In  Florida,  comprehending  Beld-work 
ami  Btndiea  on  these  pests  from  May  IS  in  August  31,  1886. 

M\  time  was  too  limited  to  do  foil  justice  to  the  subject  ;  moreo^  er,  11  will  take  several 
years  of  the  most  laborious,  painstaking  industry  to  thoroughly  work  up  the  life  his- 
tories nf  the  destructive  insect  pesta  affecting  our  garden  crops  in  this  State. 
Yours,  v.  i\  respectfully, 

WM.  II.  AJSHMEAD. 
Prof;  C.  7.  K'n  i  r, 

'  .  8.  Entomologist,    Washington,  1>.  C. 


IXTI.'O  DI  (TORY. 

The  insects  depredating  "garden  crops"  in  Florida  are  legion,  and 
the  time  at  my  disposal,  .May  L5  to  Angnsl  31,  was  too  limited  to  begin 

to  do  the  subject  justice. 

Daily  rains,  too,  from  latter  pari  of  June  and  all  during  July  greatly 
interfered  with  my  field-work.  During  the  months  of  March  and 
April  early  vegetables  are  raised  in  great  quantities  for  northern  ship- 
ment and  consumption,  and  it  is  then  that  the  greatest  activity  exists 
among  certain  destructive  pests  depredating  these  crops.  That  is  the 
timeinvestigation  should  begin.  However,  considerable  work  has  been 
accomplished,  and  in  the  following  pages  will  be  found  descriptions  of 
some  of  the  more  injurious  insect  pests  injuring  these  crops;  moreover, 
to  make  the  report  of  practical  value  to  our  vegetable  growers,  I  have 
given  the  best  remedies  known,  extracted  principally  from  the  writ! 
of  Professors  Riley,  Fitch,  Lintner,  Packard,  Forbes,  Thomas,  ^v^. 

DJSECTS  AFFECTING  TIN:  CABBAGE. 

Probably  there  is  in)  garden  crop  in  Florida  that  is  so  preyed  upon 
and  so  seriously  threatened  from  the  attacks  of  inseel  pests  as  the  cab- 
and  its  numerous  vatic 

To  well  known  imported  European  insect  pests,  now  thoroughly  estab- 
lished here  ami  depredating  this  crop,  may  he  added  many  indigenous 


10 

species  that  attack  and  destroy  it  in  different  ways,  and  the  injury  and 
loss  is  very  great. 

Necessarily  I  have  given  considerable  time  and  study  to  unraveling 
the  life  histories  of  some  of  the  more  important  ones,  giving  them  that 
prominence  in  my  report  that  their  importance  to  the  grower  seem  to 
warrant. 

THE   CABBAGE   PLUSIA. 

(Phisia  brassicce  Riley.) 

This  is  one  of  the  most  serious  aud  destructive  of  cabbage  insects. 
Prof.  C.  V.  Riley  first  described  it  in  his  Second  Missouri  Report,  1870, 
page  110. 

Distribution. — While,  undoubtedly,  originally  indigenous  to  the  South- 
ern States,  it  is  now  very  generally  distributed  over  most  of  the  Eastern 
and  Western  States.  In  IT.  S.  Agricultural  Report  for  1883,  Professor 
Riley  states  that  he  has  received  it  from  Mississippi,  Georgia,  Florida, 
the Carolinas,  Alabama,  Texas, New  Jersej', Missouri.  Kansas, Nebraska, 
Virginia,  and  Maryland. 

Food  Plants. — The  food  plants  of  the  larva-,  as  given  in  same  report, 
are  Cabbage,  Kale,  Turnip,  Tomato,  Mignonette  (Reseda),  Dandelion 
i  Taraxacum),  Dock  (Rmnex),  Crepis,  Chenopodium,  Clover,  Seuecio  scan- 
dens,  Lettuce,  and  Celery.  Professor  Riley  also  says :  "  We  have 
also  found  it  in  Florida  feeding  upon  the  Japan  Quince  (Cydonia  japon- 
ica),  and  it  has  been  found  in  Washington  upon  same  plant." 

Life  History. — The  life  history  of  this  insect  is  treated  in  the  Annual 
Report  of  the  Department  for  1883,  pp.  119-122,  and  it  is  figured  at 
Plate  I,  figs.  2  and  2a,  and  Plate  XI,  figs.  2,  a,  b,  c.  The  different  stages 
are  described  in  Professor  Riley's  Second  Missouri  Entomological  Re- 
port, pp.  111-112. 

Number  of  Broods. — Professor  Lintner,  State  Entomologist  of  New- 
York,  iu  treating  of  this  species  in  his  second  report,  page  92,  says  : 
"In  its  more  northern  extension  there  are  two  annual  broods,  for,  from 
larva-  taken  in  August,  after  about  two  weeks  of  pupation.  Dr.  Thomas 
has  had  the  moths  emerge  on  the  1st  of  September,  which  deposited 
their  eggs  for  a  second  brood  in  October.  In  the  Southern  States  there 
are  probably  four  broods,  for  Mr.  Grote  took  examples  of  the  moths  in 
Alabama  during  the  last  of  February." 

Here  in  Florida  there  are  certainly  not  less  than  six  broods,  for  I  have 
taken  the  moths  every  month  but  the  winter  months,  November,  De- 
cember, and  January. 

Its  Injuries. — Not  a  cabbage  patch  visited  by  me  this  spring  and  sum- 
mer but  was  more  or  less  damaged  by  the  attacks  of  this  terrible  cab- 
bage pest,  and  the  injury  it  does  and  the  loss  sustained  by  the  trucker 
is  immense. 

The  very  young  begin  by  eating  the  fleshy  portion  of  the  leaves;  as 


11 

thej  m«>w  in  size  and  Btrengtb  they  gnaw  irregular  holes  through  the 
leaves,  until  thej  are  ooinpletelj  riddled  or  honey-combed  and  the  cab- 
bage rendered  thereby  unmarketable. 

Natural  Enemies  and  Parasite*. — Comparativelj  few  natural  enemies 
have  been  observed  preying  upon  this  insect,  although  carabid  luetics 
and  others  are  Birpposed  to  destroy  it  ;it  the  North. 

a  European  chalcid  fly,  Copidosoma  truncatellum  Dalman,  has  been 
reported  as parasitio  on  this  species  at  Washington,  by  Mr.  !..<».  Bow- 
aid:  twenty  five  hundred  and  twentj  eight  specimens  of  this  parasite 
were  actually  counted  ns  coming  from  a  Bingle  parasitized  worm. 

Professor  Biley  has  also  bred  an  ichneumon  fly,  Apanteles  congregatus 
Saj  .  from  larva'. 

Here,  ina  Bingle  instance,  I  bred  from  a  chrysalis  an  ichneumon  fly 
sp.)  a  common  parasite  of  the  Cabbage  Plutella,  and  il  \\  ill  be 
found  treated  further  on  under  the  parasites  of  that  insect. 

From  the  egg,  however,  I  bred  a  pretty  little  chalcid  fly  |  Trichogram- 
ma  pretiosa  Biley).  It  was  first  described  by  Professor  Bilej  in  ( lanadian 
Entomologist  Vol.  XI.  page  L61,  from  specimens  bred  from  the  eggs  of 
the  Cotton  Worm    Ah  tin  argillacea  Hiibu.). 

Besides  the  above  parasites,  three  larva'  were  brought  under  my  ob- 
servation, attacked  by  the  parasitic  fungus   Botrytis  Riley i  Farlow). 

Bemedies. —  l'n >ct lint m. —  Professor  Lintner  recommends  pyrethrum  : 
■•a  tablespoonful  of  good  fresh  powder,  diffused  through  2  gallons  of 
water  and  sprinkled  over  the  plants,  would  destroy  the  larva-." 

lint  Water. — Every  worm  visible  upon  the  cabbages  may  be  killed  bj 
the  use  of  water  at  the  temperature  of  L30  Fahrenheit,  or  55  centi- 
grade. The  water  may  be  boiling  hot  when  put  in  the  watering-can, 
but  it  will  not  be  too  hot  when  it  reaches  the  Cabbage  leaves.  The  thick 
fle8by  nature  of  the  leaves  enables  them  to  withstand  considerable  heat 

with  very  little  injury.  The  sacrifice  of  a  few  heads  of  cabbage  will 
i  teach  an  experimenter  how  far  he  can  go  with  the  hot  water.  It 
may  be  spiinkled  over  the  plants  from  a  tine  rose  watering-can  or  poured 
on  with  the  sprinkler  removed.  If  it  is  \er\  hot  it  will  color  some  of 
the  leaves,  but  even  where  the  cabbage  is  considerably  Borched  it  will 
recover  ami  renew  growth  from  the  heat.       I'rof.  ('.  Y.  Kihy   . 

Kerosem  Emulsion. — The  kerosene  emulsion,  as  formulated  by  Mr.  II. 
(i.  Hubbard  for  scale  insects,  will   also    be  found  valuable  for  cabb 
worms. 

Lime  and  Carbolic  Powder. — This  is  also  good.  Take  20  parts  super- 
phosphate of  lime,  3  parts  fresh  air  slaked  lime,  and  I  part  carbolic 
powder;  mix,  and  scatter  a  small  quantity  upon  each  cabbage  head  three 
or  four  times  at  short  intervals  about  three  days  apart.  The  carbolic 
powder  is  made  by  taking  Bawdust  and  thoroughly  impregnating  it 
with  carbolic  acid. 


12 

THE  CABBAGE  PLUTELLA. 

(PluteUa  cruciferarum  Zeller.) 

Second  only  in  importance  to  the  Cabbage  Plusia  is  another  cabbage 
worm,  the  "Cabbage  Plutella,"  the  larva  of  a  small  moth,  and  which 
may  easily  be  confounded  with  the  very  young  larva  of  the  Cabbage 
Plusia. 

This  insect  was  treated  at  some  length  in  Professor  Riley's  Annual 
Eeport  as  Entomologist  to  the  Department  for  1883,  and  it  will  therefore 
be  unnecessary  to  go  into  detail  here.  I  iuaj  state,  however,  that  while 
at  the  Xorth  there  are  probably  but  two  annual  generations,  there  are 
at  least  four  herein  Florida.  The  larva?  are  quite  plentiful  on  cabbage 
from  the  last  of  February  to  July,  and  again  in  the  fall.  The  damage 
done  is  very  similar  to  that  of  the  Plusia  and  is  almost  as  great,  al- 
though it  seldom  attacks  other  than  the  outer  leaves. 

I  have  bred  a  parasite,  additional  to  those  mentioned  by  Professor 
Eiley, which  agrees  with  the  description  of  Cresson's  Limneria  obseura. 

THE  CABBAGE  APHIS. 

(Aphis  brassiere  Linn.) 

The  Cabbage  Aphis  (Aphis  brassicoe)  first  described  by  Linnaeus,  in 
his  "Systema  Xaturae,"  is  quite  widely  spread  throughout  this  country 
and  Europe.  It  was  undoubtedly  imported  into  this  country  at  a  very 
early  day,  for  Dr,  Fitch  shows,  by  reference  to  the  Transactions  of  the 
Few  York  State  Agricultural  Society  for  1791,  that  it  was  already 
known  as  a  cabbage  pest  at  that  early  date,  and  at  this  day  it  has 
.spread  to  most  parts  of  the  world  where  the  cabbage  is  cultivated. 

Food  Plants — It  is  found  on  the  Turnip,  Eaddish,  Field-cress  [Isaiis 
tinctoria),  Shepherd's-purse  (Capsella  bursa-jmstoris),  Charloch  (Brassica 
arvensis),  Cabbage,  and  other  cruciferous  plants. 

Here  I  found  it  on  Cabbage,  Turnip,  and  Eaddish. 

Its  Lipe  Histohy. — The  Young. — These  are  oval,  about  .01  inch  in 
length,  and  of  a  greenish -yellow  color,  without  the  mealy  coating  of  the 
older  ones. 

Buckton,  the  British  authority  ou  the  Aphid  khe,  thus  describes  the 
different  forms: 

Jjiltrotis  Viviparous  Fondle — Body  long,  oval :  plentifully  covered  with  a  whitish 
mealy  coat,  both  on  the  upper  nnd  under  sid<-s.  When  this  is  removed  by  a  drop  of 
spirits  of  wine  the  body  below  is  grayish-green,  with  night  black  spots  ranged  down 
each  side  of  The  back,  which  increase  in  size  as  they  approach  the  tail.  Antenna- 
ii  with  black  tips,  shorter  than  the  body.  Eyes  and  legs  black.  Cornicles  very 
short  and  black.     Tail  also  small  and  black. 

Winged  Oviparous  Female. — Head,  neck,  and  thoracic  lobes  black.     Antennae  and 
nectaries  dark  brown.      Eyes  black,     lust   of  the  body  yellowish-green.     Abdomen 
with  a  row  of  line  punctures  on  each   lateral  edge,  with  several   obscure  trans\ 
dorsal  marks.     Legs  dusky  brown,  pilose.     Tail  dark  green  or  brown ;  hairy.     Cor- 


13 

nicies  short  mid  brown,  i  the  tip  of  the  rostrum,    Thii  la 

the  second  coj  js  rather  short,  «  itb  stool  i  oaree  reins  and  stigma. 

lis  l  ii ju  r'us.  —The  injuries  this  species  does  are  more  apparent  in  early 
Bpring  and  late  fall  than  at  anj  other  tunc,  for  it  is  then  thai  they  are 
mi  is t  plentiful,  and  lesssobjeot  to  the  attacks  of  their  numerous  natural 
enemies. 

Tlic\  are  found  in  colonies,  on  tin'  upper  and  lower  surface  of  the 
leafj  often  hidden  in  the  wrinkles  and  folds  of  the  leaf,  deep  down  at 
Us  base  and  <>n  the  leaf  stalk. 

Bucktonsays:  "Both  the  upper  and  under  sides  of  the  foliage  of  which 
last  plant  Brassica  oleraeea)  it  often  crowds  in  Buch  numbers  thai  the 
leaves  become  bidden  by  the  living  mass.  Indeed  sometimes,  weight 
for  weight,  there  is  more  animal  than  vegetable  substance  present.  The 
leaves  then  become  putrid,  offensive  in  odor,  and  quite  disgusting  to  the 
eye." 

It  is  seldom  that  plants  are  so  badly  infested  in  Florida  as  described 
by  this  author,  although  some  years  ago  I  did  Bee  old  cabbage-stalks 
that  bad  been  left  go  t<>  seed  in  an  old  cabbage  patch  .so  affected. 

Every  stalk  was  literally  covered,  promiscuously  piled  one  upon 
another,  with  living,  pumping,  slimy  aphids,  rendered  such  by  the  exud- 
ing sap  of  tin-  plants.  1  was  unable  t<>  touch  a  portion  <>t"  the  stalk  with- 
out in v  fingers  being  covered  with  the  slimy,  viscid  mass. 

Natural  Enemies  <ni<l  Parasite*. —  Fortunately,  in  Florida,  the  species 
has  very  many  natural  enemies  and  parasites  which  keep  it  "from  increas 
ing  very  rapidly. 

In  Europe, too,  it  has  several  parasites.  Buckton  mentions  a  Coruna, 
raphron,  and  a  Trionyx(T.  rapa  Curtis)  as  Laving  been  bred  from  it 
in  Europe;  also  "several  species  of  Syrphidaa  and  fchneumonidm  act 
effectually  as  checks  upon  the  increase  of  A.  brassica.  The  larvae  of 
the  former  dipterous  flies,  living  in  the  midst  of  such  plenty.  BOOn  gO] 
themselves  and  become  of  .meat  size." 

Trionyx  rapw  Curtis  has  also  been  hied  from  it  in  this  country.    It  was 

Bived  at  the  Department  February  27.  L880,  from  Norfolk,  \'a..  and 
red  esc  ril  ied  by  Mr.  Cresson  in  the  Annual  Report,  I  .  S.  Department  Ag- 
riculture for  1ST'.*,  page  260,  as  a  new  Bpecies,  Trionyx  piceus.  Professor 
Riley  bred  it  at  Saint  I. outs.  Mo.,  as  early  as  L871,  and  I  have  bred  it  here 
in  great  quantities  in  May,  dune,  and  July. 

It  is  one  of  the  principal  checks  in  keeping  this  pest  within  bounds. 
and  but  few  of  the  Aphids  escape  its  Bting. 

But  there  are  other  parasites;  and  below  I  give  descriptions  of  Sev- 
eral Others  bred  here  which  are  apparently  new  and  as  yet  uudescribed. 

The  rearing  of  a  parasitic  Cynips  from  this  Bpecies  is  quite  interest- 
ing, inasmuch  as  the  habits  id*  bit  few  of  our  species  are  known.  I'p 
to  t lie  present  time  Allotria  ■  Fitch,  and  A.lachni  Ashui. 

arc  the  only  Cynipids  bred  from  Aphids  in  North  America. 


14 

The  Cabbage  Aphis  Allotria — Allotria  brassiea  a.  s]>.— Female.—  Length  .05  inch. 
Black,  highly  polished,  face  and  vertex  of  head  testaceous;  cheeks  broad,  convex, 
antenna'  13-jointed,  long,  pale  yellowish-brown  or  yellowish  towards  base,  becoming 
brownish  or  infuscated  at  tip;  thorax  smooth,  parapsides  distant  ;  scntellum  small, 
round,  convex,  with  a  deep  transverse  groove  at  base;  wings  clear,  pubescent  and 
fringed  with  short  cilia:  veins  yellowish,  the  radial  area  closed;  abdomen  globose, 
with  the  second  segment  but  slightly  longer  than  the  third,  highly  polished  black, 
but  more  or  less  testaceous  at  base  and  at  vent,  and  a  clump  of  whitish  hairs  at  base ; 
legs  honey-yellow  ;    in  dry  specimens  tawny-yellow. 

Male. — The  male  is  of  the  s  ime  size  or  slightly  smaller  than  the  female,  and  iseasily 
recognized  by  the  14-jointed  antenna';  the  third,  fourth,  and  fifth  joints  almost  equal 
jn  length,  and  all  are  excised  outwardly  ;  the  testaceous  spot  on  vertex  of  head  is  not 
so  apparent ;  the  pleura  are  more  or  less  testaceous  and  the  abdomen  is  ovate. 

Described  from  several  specimens  bred  from  June  6th  to  July  15th. 

The  Cabbage  Aphis  Pachyneuron — racbyneuron  aphidivora  n.  sp. — Female. — 
Length  .04  to  .05  inch.  Head  metallic  green  suffused  with  purple  and  purplish 
black  on  vertex  ;  bhagreencd,  the  sculpture  coarser  beneath  eyes  ;  maudibles  large, 
tridentate ;  eyes  purplish-brown;  antennae  brown,  pubescent,  scape  and  pedicel 
darker;  thorax  purplish-black  with  bronzy  and  cupreous  reflection,  finely  reticulately 
sculptured;  scapula',  golden  green;  scutellum  prominent,  convex,  rounded;  meta- 
thorax  finely  wrinkled;  abdomen  flat,  oval,  blue-black,  metallic  at  base  and  with 
bronze  tingings  towards  apex,  darker  beneath;  wings  hyaline,  iridescent,  pubescent 
excepting  at  base ;  veins  pale  yellow,  the  thickened  marginal  vein  brownish,  the 
stigmal  slightly  longer  than  marginal  ;  along  outer  edge  are  seven  long  hairs: 
pale  yellowish,  cox;e  black,  anterior  and  middle  femora  d  usky  near  base  and  along 
upper  and  lower  surface,  at  least  two-thirds  their  length. 

Described  from  several  specimens  bred  June  Cth. 

The  Cabbage  Aphis  Excyrtid—  Eucyrtm  aphidiphagus  n.  sp. — Female.— Length 
.06  inch.  I51ue-black.  Head  shagreened,  face  and  mouth  parts  blue,  the  facial  impres- 
sion is  very  deep,  eyes  brown  ;  ocelli  legion  greenish  :  antennae  brown;  thorax  shag- 
reened  in  wavy  curved  rngosities,  hind  margin  metallic  green  ;  abdomen  bronzed,  blue- 
black  :  wings  hyaline,  marginal  vein  short  ;  legs  honey-yellow,  all  femora  brown  ex- 
cept at  tips,  a  large  brown  blotch  near  base  of  tibia-,  terminal  tarsal  joints  dusky. 

Near  Encyrtiis  sublestus  Howard  but  the  color  of  the  legs  will  at  once  distinguish  it. 
Described  from  several  specimens. 

The  Cabbage  Aphis  Syrphus  Fly — Allograpta  obliqua  Say. — The 
larva  or  maggot  of  this  fly  has  been  taken  feeding  on  the  "Cabbage 
Aphis,"  and  below  I  give  description  of  its  various  preparatory  stages: 

The  Egg. — Pearly  white,  long  oval  ;  .03  inch  in  length,  deposited  on  the  leaves 
among  the  Aphids. 

The  Maggot.—  It  is  difficult  to  distinguish  this  from  many  other  Syrphid  larva-. 
The  full  grown  larva  measures  .25  inch  in  length,  cylindrical,  tapering  auteriorly  to 
point;  it  is  perfectly  smooth,  a  translucent  green,  and  the  viscera  are  plainly  discerni- 
ble, variously  shaded,  dark  green,  yellowish  or  brownish  ;  the  jaws  are  black  :  the  air 
vessels,  which  are  visible  on  cither  side  through  the  body  walls,  become  contiguous  on 
last  segment,  where  they  are  connected  externally  with  two  small  warty  spiracles. 

Tin  Puparium. — Thepuparinm  into  which  the  maggot  transforms  resembles  a  cone. 
with  the  side  attached  to  the  leaf,  flattened  and  held  in  place  by  a  viscid  substance 
secreted  by  the  larva  ;  its  anterior  end  broad  and  well  rounded,  gradually  nar- 
rowing posteriorly;  at  the  end  are  still  to  be  seen  the  two  warty  tubercles.  Color 
yellow-brown,  with  occasionally  darker  shadings. 


15 

From  the  pupariuni  of  this  fly  I  have  bred  tbe  following  parasite: 
9ykpfius   Pl>     Pachynkuron     Pat'hy neuron   a  a.  sp.     Female, 

Length  .08  i neb.     Black,  rather  ooaralj  ponctate,  with  aslighl  metallic  luster.     II 

,  face  and  oheeks  full ;  eyes  brown;  antenum  brown, soape  rufou  way 

yellow,  ;i  large  brown  blotch  on  fore  and  middle  femora,  while  the  biud  femora  are 
almost  entirely  brown;  abdomen  flattened, oval, shin]  black;  wings  byaline,  veins 
pale  brown;  the  bristles  on  aobmarginal  vein  are  not  long  and  are  difficult  to  ooant, 

Hale.     Length  .OJ  inch,  otherwise  similai  to  female. 

D      ribed  from   everal  specimens.     The  large  size  ol  this  species  and  color  o 
will  distinguish  it  from  others  in  our  fanna, 

Besides  tbe  above  parasites  there  is  a  small  Coccinellid  that  preys  on 
the  Cabbage  Apbis,  viz,  Scymnus  cervicalu. 

OTHEB    inskcis    FOUND  ON   GARBAGE    in    FLORIDA. 

A  Centipede  [Julua  multistriatus  Bay,  a  Crickel  |  Tridactyltu  minutm 
Bcndder),  the  Southern  Cabbage  Butterfly  |  l'i<  ris  protodice  Boisd.  ,  the 
Large  Cabbage  Butterfly  (Pierta  monuste  L.),  the  Cabbage  Mamestra 
[Mamettra  ekenopodii  Albin.),  the  Zebra  Cabbage  Worm  (Ceramica picta 
Harris!,  the  Cabbage  Pionea  Pionea  rimoaalis  Gueu.),  the  Cauliflower 
Botis  Botis  repetitalia  Grote),  the  Barlequin  Cabbage  Bug  {Afurgantia 
kUtrionioa  Eahn.),  ami  others. 

INSECTS  AFFECTING  COEN. 

Tin1  lateness  i>t'  the  season  at  which  I  began  my  investigations  pre- 
eluded  nit'  from  studying  insects  depredating  this  crop  in  its  eat 
growth;  consequently  nothing  can  be  reported  of  the  cut-worms  and 

borers  that  do  so  much  injury  to  this  crop  in  early  spring. 

THE    COEN  WORM. 

[Heliothis  armigera  Hiibn.) 

This  well-known  insect  has  been  very  plentiful  and  injurious  iii 
Florida  during  the  past  season.  Not  a  Held  of  corn  was  free  from  its 
attacks,  and  but  few  perfect  ears  could  be  found  that  were  not  bored 
into  by  this  pest 

Prom  ears  taken  from  a  field  near  Jacksonville  I  obtained  from  eight 
to  a  do/en  worms  in  each  car.  and  out  of  the  whole  patch  hardly  an  «  ar 
could  be  found  that  had  less  than  two  or  three  worms  in  it. 

The  insect  is  treated  in  full  in  the  fourth  Report  of  the  LT.  S.  Ento- 
mological Commission,  and  a  repetition  of  its  life  history,  habits,  ami 
remedies  are  unnecessary  here. 

Its  Injuries. —  Enormous  injuries  are  committed  by  this  worm, whole 

fields  of  corn  being  almost  entirely  destroyed  by  it.     The  eggs  are  laid 

on  the  leaves,  and  tbe  young  larvae,  which  hatch  therefrom,  begin  by 

eating  the  leaves,  but  they  soon  leave  these  and  bore  into  the  tender 
ears,  gnawing  and  eating  them  in  all  directions,  so  that  frequently 
hardly  a   perfect  car  can   be  found.     At  times  ir  is   also  found   at   the 


16 

base  of  the  tassel,  feeding  on  the  accumulated  saccarhine  juice,  found 
there,  just  before  the  tassel  emerges  from  its  sheath. 

The  worms  will  not  only  gnaw  irregular  burrows  and  feed  on  corn 
while  in  the  milk,  but  the  mature  larvae  are  known  at  times  to  continue 
feeding  on  mature  hard  corn. 

1  have  taken  on  corn  two  hemiptera  or  bugs  which  probably  prey  on 
the  worm,  although  not  detected  in  the  act — the  "Wheel  Bug  (Prionidus 
cristatus  L.)  and  Euschistus  servus  Say.  From  the  egg  I  bred  Tricho- 
gramma  pretiosa  Riley,  already  noticed;  but  no  other  parasite  has  been 
bred  from  it  by  me. 

THE   CORN   MINING   FLY. 

(Diastata  sp?) 

A  mining  fly  larva  is  quite  frequently  met  with,  making  long  irregular 
mines  on  corn  leaves,  and  while  I  have  not  been  able  to  rear  the  perfect 
fly,  yet  I  am  satisfied  it  is  the  same  species  mentioned  by  Prof.  Corn- 
stock,  in  U.  S.  Agricultural  Report  for  1880,  page  245,  as  Diastata  sp. 

Several  specimens  of  a  parasite,  agreeing  tolerably  well  with  Mr. 
Howard's  Entedon  diastata',  reared  from  it  at  the  North,  were  also  bred 
from  it  here. 

MISCELLANEOUS  CORN  INSECTS. 

A  Hemipteron  ( Oebalus  ptignax  Fabr.)  was  found  in  considerable  num- 
bers feeding  on  corn  pollen,  along  with  a  Capsid  and  several  flies.  A 
fly  (Ortalis  sp.)  is  common  on  the  stalk,  but  was  not  observed  to  do  auy 
injury.  A  common  beetle  (Allorhina  nitida  Linn.)  was  taken,  with  head 
immersed  in  the  ear,  feeding  on  corn  while  in  the  milk. 

OTHER   INSECTS   INJURING   CORN   IN  FLORIDA. 

The  following  insects  also  injure  corn  here:  The  Corn-stalk  Borer 
(Diatrasa  saccharalis  Fabr.);  the  Com  Bill-bug  (Sjphenophorus  robust  us 
Horn.),  and  the  Angoumois  moth  (Gelechia  cerealcJla)  and  several  Cut 
Worms.  From  the  tassels  I  have  taken  the  larva-  of  Xola  sorghiella 
Riley,  and  in  the  crib  the  Corn  Weevil  (Calandra  granaria). 

INSECTS  AFFECTING  THE  TOMATO. 

The  cultivation  of  the  Tomato  for  Northern  markets  is  a  rapidly  grow- 
ing industry  in  Florida,  particularly  in  the  southern  portions  of  our 
State ;  and  thousands  of  boxes  are  now  forwarded  by  our  growers  to 
Northern  commission  men  every  season. 

It  behooves  us,  therefore,  to  keep  a  watchful  eye  on  the  insect  depre- 
dators of  this  fruit,  for  we  may  naturally  expect,  with  the  extension  u£ 
auy  horticultural  industry,  a  corresponding  increase  of  insect  pests. 

Fortunately,  no  serious  damage  done  this  plant  by  insects  has  been 
reported  this  season,  and,  while  I  have  been  unable  to  visit  West  and 


17 

Booth  I'l.u  i.l.i.  the  sections  in  which  the  Tomato  Is  more  extensively  cnl« 
tivatcd.  yet  studies  on  insects  infesting  it  in  gardens  near  Jacksonville 
will,  I  Feel  assured,  prove  of  interest. 

THE  TOM  LTO   WORM. 

[Sphinx  Carolina  Linn.) 

Tli  is  is  a  well-known  inset,  common  in  all  tomato  patches,  although 
the  moth  Into  \\  bich  it  transforms  is  seldom  seen,  and  remains  totally  un- 
known to  the  great  majority  of  our  farmers.  When  yon  tell  them  tliar 
the  worm  will  change  into  a  large  moth,  nine  times  out  of  ten  they  ex- 
press surprise  and  think  it  a  most  wonderful  piece  of  information. 

Distribution. — It  is  quite  generally  distributed  throughout  the  United 
States,  Mexico,  tin1  West  Indies,  and  is  not  uneoinnioii  in  South 
America. 

Pood  I'ld  Ills, —  It  feeds  nil  Ton  into.  1  *ot  a  to,  .1  im  pson  weed     I  hi  turn  strn- 

moniiiiin.  Egg  Plant,  Tobacco,  and  other  plants.  I  took  specimens  the 
past  -..iv. >ii  feeding  on  Poke-berry  (Rivind  lavis). 

Irs  i. hi:  Hibtory. — The  Egg. — The  egg  ia  spherical,  perfectly  smooth,  and  green  or 
yellowish-green  incolor;  diameter  about  .05  inch. 

The  Larva.— When  foil  grown  it  measures  over  three  inches  in  length.  The  bead 
ami  bodj  are  dark  green,  interspersed  witli  greenish-white  dots ;  it  is  transversely 
wrinkled;  ..Mi. in.-  white  or  greenish-white  lateral  bands  extend  from  dorsnm  to 
raclee,  edged  above  with  blnisfa  and  short  transverse  black  lines.  The  Bpiracles,  ex- 
cepting the  first  end  last,  an-  blackish,  with  a  yellow  »1  < » t  above  and  below,  all  edged 
with  l>lin\  the  first  and  last  orange  yellow.  The  Bhield  and  terminal  prologs  edged 
below  with  yellow;  the  caudal  horn  is  reddish-brown  towards  tip,  and  the  feet  are 
white,  edged  with  black. 

The  Pupa. — Length  one  inch  an. 1  a  half.  Dark  reddish-brown,  with  coarse  punc- 
tures on  abdominal  segments,  and  a  detached  cylindrical  thick  tun.  nol 
quite  reaching  to  tip  of  abdomen. 

The  moth  isa  mottled  gray  species,  with  orange  spots  along  the  body, 

ami  has  too  often  been  figured  and  described  to  need  description  here. 

fra  Injuries. — When  plentiful  the  injury  done  is  considerable,  and  great 
care  should  be  taken  to  remove  and  destroy  them.  They  cat  the  leaves 
and  tenderer  and  terminal  shoots,  frequently  Stripping  the  plant  bare, 
whereby  the  plant  is  unable  to  breathe  or  mature  fruit. 

Natural  Enemies  anil  Parasites. — I  have  observed  a  species  of  Wasp 
carrying  Off  the  young  worms  to  provision  its  nest.  It  is  also  probable 
that  tin  Dlicrogaster  and  Blacas  that  attack  its  nearest  ally  [Sphinx 
5-maculata)  will  be  found  parasitizing  this  worm. 

A  Tachina  fly,  a  Bpecies  of  M ascicera,  has  been  bred  from  it  in  the 
North  by  Prof.  Riley   Fourth  Missouri  Entomological  Report,  page  L29  . 
In  June  I  bred  from  its  eggs  Trichogramma  pretiosa  Riley,  a  general  i 
parasite  already  notice.],  and  a  species  of  YW,  ,,.v.     Of  the  former  three 
to  six  specimens  issued  from  each  eggj   from  the  latter  two  to  four. 
22340— No.  1 1 


18 
I  submit  a  description  of  the  Teleas,  which  is  apparently  new: 

The  Sphinx  Egg  Teleas — Teleas  sphhiyim.sp. — Length,  .04  inch.  Black,  smooth, 
and  polished.  Head  large,  much  broader  than  thorax;  antenna;  12-jointed,  dark 
brown,  sparsely  pubescent,  the  gcape  barely  reaching  to  the  head  :  pedicel  much 
stouter  and  larger  than  first  fnnicle  joint,  which  is  small  ;  other  joints  slightly  in- 
crease in  size  to  club,  which  enlarges  and  widens  considerably,  and  comprises  fi\e 
joints:  the  antenna-  in  male  are  more  flagellate.  The  thorax  is  ovate,  smooth,  con- 
vex, and  sparsely  covered  with  microscopical  pubescence. 

Under  a  very  high  power  the  head  and  thorax  show  a  microscopical  reticulated 
scratched  surface. 

No  parapsidal  grooves;  the  scutcllum  is  separated  by  a  deep  groove  at  base  and  has 
some  wrinkled  ridges;  metathorax  rugose.  The  abdomen  is  very  flat  ovate,  and 
somewhat  carinate  laterally;  on  first  segment  there  are  three  deep  transverse,  punc- 
tate grooves,  and  the  second  segment  occupies  most  of  the  upper  surface;  surround- 
ing the  tip  are  a  few  hairs. 

Legs  clavate  ;  femora  and  coxa'  black  or  very  dark  brown  ;  tibiae  brown,  with  tips  ; 
tarsi  and  trochanters  yellowish  or  tawny  ;  wings  hyaline,  hairy,  and  with  a  distinct, 
rather  long,  stigmal  vein. 

Described  from  numerous  specimens  bred  in  July. 

Remedy. — For  destroying  this  worm  no  better  method  need  be  wanted 
than  hand-picking. 

The  worms  are  large  and  conspicuous,  easily  seen,  and  no  difficulty 
will  attend  their  destruction.  The  best  time  for  search i fig  for  them  is 
in  the  early  morning  and  evening;  during  the  middle  of  the  day  the 
majority  ot  them  will  be  found  hidden  under  trash  and  in  the  ground 
at  the  foot  of  the  vine. 

THE   TOMATO-STALK   BORER. 

(Gortyna  nitela  Gueu.) 

This  insect  is  comparatively  rare  in  Florida,  although  T  have  noticed 
it  several  times  the  present  season.  It  has  been  so  often  treated  in  the 
reports  and  in  popular  articles  as  to  need  no  extended  notice  here. 

THE   TOMATO  APHIS. 

(Megoura  solani  Thomas.) 

In  some  cases  brought  under  my  observation  this  year,  this  Aphid 
did  considerable  damage  to  tomato  vines,  particularly  in  the  early 
spring. 

Distribution. — It  is  pretty  generally  distributed  throughout  the 
United  States,  although  it  has  not  been  reported,  that  I  am  aware  of, 
west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains. 

Its  Natural  History. — Prof.  Cyrus  Thomas  described  the  species  in  the 
Eighth  Illinois  Report  as  follows  : 

Winged  Female. — Antenna'  7-joiuted,  a  little  longer  than  the  body;  first  and  second 
joints  short :  third  and  seventh  longest,  nearly  equal  ;  fourth  a  little  shorter  than  the 
third:  the  fifth  not  quite  as  long  as  the  fourth:  sixth  about  half  or  less  than  half 
the  length  of  the  fifth;  tubercles  prominent.  Honey  tubes  extending  beyond  the 
abdomen,   excessively  enlarged  in  the  middle,  aud  expanding  at  the    tip  in  trumpet 


ihape,  Toll  of  moderate  leogth,  about  one  third  u  long  a^  the  honey  t  uIh-^,  conical. 
Wings  a~  usual  in  Siphonophora  :  fourth  vein  strongly  and  regular! j  curved  :  second 
Ibrk  iiliniit  equally  diatanl  trout  apex  and  third  vein]  stigma  elongate,  slender  and 
pointed,  Bixe  lai  ge. 

ral  color  green  i-li:  tail  greenish  voUom  at  the  hose,  darkei  at  the  tip;  hody 
nisbor  pale  green ish-yellon  :  autennie  dusky.     Anothei  w  m^-il  specimen,  proba- 
bly a  male,  varies  considerablj  from  the  above  description;  the  second  forkol  the  third 
\  fin  is  verj  -.li«>rt  .mil  near  the  apex,  and  in  son*  >seul  in  one  wing  and  present 

ii\  the  other.  Honej  tabes  \\  iili  the  enlargement  less  than  the  pre<  ediu  .:,  and  oan  led 
nearer  t"  1  li.>  apex;  antenna;  also  differ  slightly  En  the  respective  length  of  the 
joints.  Head  and  abdomen  olive  green;  thorax  and  eyes  black;  antenna  dusky, 
,  dark  at  the  knees  and  tarsi. 
Pupa.  —  Elongate  oblong  inform;  very  pale  with  a  dark  green  Btripe  along  the 
middle  of  the  back,  with  apparent  whitish  powder  speckled  sparselj  over  the  bo 
Head  whitish ;  base  of  antenna)  greenish-white,  rest  pale  fuscous,  dark  at  the  r  t )  •  •  >  t 
the  joints  and  at  the  tip  of  the  antenna) ;  eyes  brown;  femora  greenish- w  bite;  tibim 
fnscons;  tarsi  darker.  Honoy  tabes  I'm.:,  slender,  pale  at  base  and  daskj  at  the  tip. 
Tail  short,  conical,  greenish. 

The  summer  broods  of  this  species  are  viviparous,  bnl  there  must  be 
a  fall  sexual  brood,  containing  oviparous  females  which  deposit  eg 

from  which  liatcli  the  early  Bpring  broods. 

lis  Injuries. — This  species  was  flrsl  detected  in  the  garden  of  Col.  L. 
\v.  Spratt. 

The  Colonel  drew  my  attention  to  some  sickly  tomato  vines  and 
showed  mi' others  that  had  died  and  asked  me  what  w;is  the  matter 
with  them.  An  examination  revealed  the  Aphids  along  the  Mem  stalk 
and  on  Some  of  the  leaves,  and  I  feel  convinced  thai  these  little  creatures 
were  the  cause  of  the  trouble.  Their  puncture  has  a  blistering  and 
blighting  effect  on  the  Vine,  and  the  leaves  curl  and  wither. 

Natural  Enemies  "ml  "Parasites. —  I  detected  the  larvseof  a  Lace-wing 
///  mi  -robins)  and  certain  Scymui  feeding  Upon  them;  also  hied  from 
them  two  internal  parasites  as  follows: 

Tomato  Arms  Aalotria — Allotrta  megoura  a.  sp. — Fkmalb. — Length  .03  inch. 
Black, shining.  Face  testaceous;  antennae  long,  13-jotnted,  Bubflliform,  dark  houey- 
yellow,  infuscated  from  t  tvo-tliirds  its  length  to  tip :  thorax  Bmooth,  Bhining  :  soutel- 
Inm  oval,  con  vex ;  abdomen  globose,  slightly  testaceous  in  certain  lights ;  legs  dark 
honey-yellow;  wings  hyaline,  ciliated,  veins  yellowish. 

Described  from  one  specimen  bred  May  26th. 

Thb Tomato  Aphis  Encyrtid — EHcgrtiuf  megoura  n.ap. — M.vrr  \m>  I'i.m  w.v.. — 
Length  from  .02  to  .03  inch.  Bine-black.  Head  finely  punctate;  eyes  large  with 
coarse  facets;  month  p  ratennie  ll-joiuted,  covered  with  short   pnbseeence 

in  female,  in  male  with  twu  whorls  of  hairs  on  each  joint :  the  flagi  Hum  gradually 
widens  towards  tip  in  female,  narrower  in  male;  scntellnm  slightly  metallic  in 
female,  brighter  in  male,  with  some  long  hairs  :  abdomen  blackish  or  brownish,  shorr, 
stout,  with,  long  hairs  at  sides ;  wings  hyaline ;  veins  yellowish ;  marginal  vein  vi 
short ;  legs  j  ellowish,  coxa-,  femora  except  at  tip,  and  a  broad  annulus  on  npper  half 
of  tibia  darker. 

Described  from  three  specimens. 

Remedies. — Those  recommended  for  "Cabbage Aphis"  will  be  just  as 
effectnal  for  this  species. 


20 


INSECTS  AFFECTING  THE  EGG  PLANT. 

The  egg  plant  is  comparatively  but  little  cultivated  in  Florida,  and 
no  serious  injury  is  done  it  by  insect  pests. 

The  "  Tomato  Worms,"  Sphinx  Carolina  and  Sphinx  5- macula t a  are 
both  found  on  it  eating  the  leaves;  also  a  Tortricid  aud  a  Tineid. 

A  Membracid  (Acutalis  calva  Say)  is  found  on  the  stalk,  a  Blister 
Beetle  {Lpicauta  cinerea  Forst.)  in  blossoms,  and  occasionally  eating  the 
leaves;  at  times  a  small  black  jumping  bug  [Halticus  bractatua  Say)  is 
very  plentiful  on  both  stalk  and  leaves,  as  well  as  Stictocephala  in- 
ermis  Fabr.,  and  on  the  under  surface  of  the  leaves  an  Aphis. 

THE  EGG  PLANT   APHIS. 

[Siphonopliora  cucurbitce  Middletou.) 

Distribution. — This  species  was  first  detected  on  Squash  vines  at 
Cavbondale,  Illinois,  May,  1878,  by  Miss  Nettie  Middletou,  and  described 
in  Eighth  Beport  Illinois  Insects,  page  G7,  and  I  know  of  no  other  ref- 
erence to  it.  The  specimens  found  here  on  Egg  Plants  agree  perfectly 
with  her  description,  and  it  is  probably  extensively  distributed  over  the 
Eastern  United  States  on  various  plants  belonging  to  the  Cucurbi- 
tacese. 

I  quote  her  original  description  : 

Winged  Specimens. — Large  aud  green.  Antenna;  very  loug,  reaching  to  or  beyond 
the  tip  of  the  tail ;  third  joint  a  little  longer  than  the  fourth  ;  fourth  about  the  same 
length  or  very  slightly  longer  than  fifrh  :  sixth  not  more  thau  one-fourth  or  one-third 
the  length  of  the  fifth;  seventh  longest ;  wings  transparent ;  veins  slender  :  the  first 
fork  makes  a  very  acute  angle  with  the  third  vein;  second  fork  rather  nearer  the 
third  vein  than  the  apex;  fourth  vein  curves  sharply  and  approaches  somewhat 
closely  in  its  middle  to  the  first  fork  ;  stigma  elongate  and  narrow;  honey  tubes 
loug,  slender,  and  cylindrical,  extending  beyond  the  tip  of  the  abdomen,  but  not  to 
the  tip  of  the  tail,  about  one-fifth  the  length  of  the  body  ;  tail  long,  Bubconical,  more 
than  half  the  length  of  the  honey  tubes  (in  the  wingless  specimens).  The  form  of  the 
body  in  both  the  winged  and  wingless  specimens  is  elongate  and  fusiform,  the  latter 
being  slightly  broader  thau  the  former.  Length  of  body  .10  inch,  to  tip  of  wing  .18 
inch,  and  some  appear  to  even  exceed  this  size  ;  body  green  ;  head  paler,  more  or  less 
yellowish  :  thorax  pale  brownish  or  fawn  colored  or  tinged  with  this  color;  abdomen 
green,  with  a  darker  green  median  line  ;  first  and  second  joints  of  the  antenna'  pale, 
third  dark,  seventh  light,  shades  of  light  and  dark  more  or  less  alternating:  honey 
tubes  green  at  base,  chauging  to  fuscous  at  the  tip  ;  tail  greenish;  eyes  brown; 
stigma  pah'. 

Wingh  sa  Specimen. — Green,  with  few  markings:  Body  slightly  broader  than  winged 
specimens,  and  elongate  ovate;  the  abdomen  tapering  posteriorly  to  the  elongated 
tail,  which  is  elongate  conical,  its  length  more  than  half  and  almost  equal  to  that  in' 
the  honey  tubes.  The  honey  tubes  are  long,  somewhat  robust  and  cylindrical:  tl.e\ 
extend  beyond  the  tip  of  the  abdomen,  although  the  posterior  tapering  segments  are 
much  drawn  out,  but  not  to  tlie  tip  of  the  tail.  In  most  of  the  specimens  examined 
under  a  strong  magnifying  power  they  appear  slightly  and  minutely  wrinkled  trans- 
versely, or  what  may  perhaps  better  describe  the  appearance  pustulate  or  scaly.     The 


21 

It- n -ill  of  bodj  la  usually  rather  greater  than  of  ike  winged  specimens.    In  imt  Ii  iln> 
it  11 1 •- ii 1 1 .•-  mill  front  of  1 1 1 •  -  bead  are  hairy,  and  man]  "i  the  bain  appear  t"  l»  capi- 

Its  Injuries. —  It  is  only  in  early  spring  th.it  the  plant  Buffers  mucb 
from  tins  Aphid,  and  then  almost  an\  wash  would  destroy  it :  later  tin; 
rains  ami  natural  enemies  almost  totally  destroy  it. 

Parasites.  Enemies  that  are  usually  found  destroying  plant  lice— 
Coooinellidu  and  Bemcrobiidaa — were  also  observed  associated  with  this 
Bpeciesj  l>nt  besides  these  I  bred  from  it  a  parasitic  Cyuipid  as  follows : 

rui:  l'.i.i;  l'i  \si  Vphis  I  "i(-<  ii  i  a,  Eucotla  tiphonophora  n.  Bp.— Mali  Length,  .<'"> 
Inch;  dork,  plceo-black;  poliahed;  In  shape  somewhat  linear;  antenna  Longer  than 
bodj  :  15-jointed ;  filiform,  red;  third  joint  longest,  exoised;  following  joints  long, 
moniliform;  sontellnm  cnpnliform;  abdomen  slightl]  compressed,  with  hairy  girdle 
at  base;  Legs  nil;  posterior  coxm  rather  large,  somewhat  pale;  wings  hyaline, pub- 
escent, ami  cil 

Described  from  one  specimen,  bred  May  :5i>. 

INSECTS    AFFECTING    Till'.    PEA. 

There  an-  several  insects  destroying  the  Pea  in  Florida,  but  it  was 
too  late  in  tin'  season  when  I  began  my  work  to  .study  them  in  the 
field,  the  Pea  crop  being  about  over. 

Crickets,  grasshoppers,  beetles,  and  caterpillars  cut  and  eat  the 
leaves  ami  pods ;  bur  by  far  the  most-  destructive  is  a  root  -mining  An- 
thoinyid  fly,  which  preys  upon  the  roots. 

Its  existence  is  entirely  unsuspected  by  the  grower,  and  I  hope  an- 
other season  will  enable  me  to  thoroughly  work  it  up. 

Tin'  maggots  bore  into  and  burrow  the  roots  near  the  crown,  and  in 
a  short  time  flourishing  and  luxuriant  vinos  arc  killed. 

Our  people  attribute  the  cause  to  the  hot  weather,  and  would  be  sur- 
prised could  they  see  the  larva'  at  work. 

INSECTS  AFFECTING  Till:   BEAN. 

The  same  general  remarks  made  ill  regard  to  insects  of  the  Pea  will 
apply  to  tlie  Bean  also,  and  I  have  only  been  able  to  work  up  the  life. 
history  of  one  "Out-worm,"  taken  while  in  the  act,  in  June. 

tin:  i:r.  \.\   OUT-WOBM. 
ZV lesilla  dnereola  G-uenee. 

The  moth  of  this  species  has  long  been  known  to  collectors,  but  the  cat- 
erpillar, I  believe, up  to  the  present  time,  remains  unidentified  andun- 
d  escribed. 

Distribution. — Found  generally  spread  over  the  United  states  east 

of  the    Rocky  .Mountains   and   in   Canada   and   the  West  Indies,      l'ro- 
fessor  Snow  reports  it  common  in  Kansas  ;   in  Florida  it  is  rare. 


22 

Its  Life  History. —  The  Egg. — Unknown. 

Tie  Luna. — This  in  shape  and  si/..'  very  much  resembles  the  Cabbage  Worm  (I'I< 
brassicce,)  and,  like  it,  when  disturbed  draws  itself  np  and  has  the  appearance  of  ageo- 
metrid  larva.  When  full  grown  it  measures  one  and  one-tenth  of  an  inch  in  length. 
Pale  green,  with  a  wavy,  yellow  stigma  line  and  a  supra-stigma  creamy  white  line 
and  two  pale  dorsal  lines,  8  transverse  black  warty  dots  on  segments  with  two  more 
on  dorsum  back  of  these,  from  all  of  which  issue  pale  hairs;  on  either  side  of  the 
dorsal  black  warty  tubercles  is  an  irregular  yellowish  line,  and  an  indistinct  yel- 
lowish oblique  line  extending  from  the  outer  line  obliquely  between  the  first  pairof 
tubereles  and  last  pair  to  the  dorsal  lines.  The  six  true  legs  are  pale,  glassy,  and 
there  are  prolegs  on  ninth,  tenth,  and  anal  segments.  Head  green,  \vith  sutural  edges 
dark  and  a  few  hairs  at  sides. 

The  Pupa. —  Length,  .42  inch;  greatest  width,  .15;  wing  cases,  .21  inch;  pale  yel- 
low brown,  the  fifth  segment  rather  strongly  constricted  anteriorly  and  widest  :  the 
edges  of  all  the  segments  anteriorly  dark  brown. 

The  Moth. — Wing  expanse  from  one  inch  aud  ten-Lundredths  to  one  inch  and  fifteen- 
huudredths.  The  fore  wings  are  grayish  brown,  with  a  few  short,  indistinct,  wavy, 
lighter  grayish  lines  interspersed;  transversely  across  the  fore  wing  near  the  outer 
margin  is  a  light  gray  or  slightly  yellowish  band. 

The  hind  wings  are  uniformly  gray,  fringed  with  short  cilia  ;  beneath,  silvery  gray 
with  numerous  brownish  gray  scales  at  anterior  margin  and  on  fore  wing. 

Its  Injuries. — The  worm  feeds  on  the  leaves  aud  the  beau  pods,  some- 
times stripping  the  vine  bare. 

OTHER    BEAN   INSECTS. 

A  Katydid  (Phylloptera  oblongifolia  Dels.),  a  Butterfly  larva  (Euda- 
mus proteus  Linn.),  and  a  Tineid  are  also  found  damaging  this  crop. 

INSECTS  AFFECTING  THE  SQUASH. 

In  Florida  there  are  many  insects  found  feeding  on  this  plant ;  the 
Cucumber  Flea-beetle  (Crepidodera  cucumeris  Harris),  the  12-spotted  Dia- 
brotica  (Diabrotica  ll-punctuta  Oliv.),  a  jumping  buy (HaUicus  braetatus 
Say),  the  False  Chinch  (TripJihp.s  insidiosus  Say),  a  Mining  Fly  ( Oscinis), 
aud  an  Aphis  (Aphis  cucurbitce  Buckton)  are  common  on  the  leaves  and 
stems,  but  have  not  been  observed  to  do  much  injury.  The  life  histories 
of  aud  observations  concerning  the  more  injurious  are  given  below. 

THE   SQUASH   BUG. 

(Anasa  tristis  DeGeer). 

When  this  bug  exists  in  quantities  probably  there  is  no  more  inju- 
rious insect  known  to  squash  and  pumpkin  vines.  The  mature  bug 
hibernates  in  the  winter  under  debris,  old  vines,  dry  grass,  boards,  &c, 
and  from  early  spring  to  late  fall  there  is  a  continual  succession  of 
broods. 

•I  have  taken  some  specimens  in  mid-winter,  on  warm  days,  in  old 
fields  and  on  fences. 

Distribution. — It  is  found  generally  throughout  the  United  States  and 


ill  <  ';i  inula  ;    Amisii   iihlrri  St  a  I.,  loll  in  I   in    Mexico,  w  ill  probably    pn>\  e  tO 

be  oothing  lint  a  climatic  or  varietal  form  of  this  well  known  insect  : 

[ts  lair.  History  Length, .04  inch ;  oval,  Battened  on  three  Bides,  -■> 

thai  when  viewed  from  either  end  i(  baa  a  triangular  appearance ;  in  color  it  la  dark 
golden  brooze,  I"  1 1 » •  -  unassisted  eye  it  is  imooth  and  shining,  bat  when  viewed 
ander  a  high-power  lens  the  bui  face  ia  ret  Icnlated. 

I'hi  Larva.—  When  first  batched  the  yonng  bng  i*  broadly  oval,  with  long  antennie, 
the  joints  of  which  are  Oat,  hairy  :  the  head,  thorax,  a  ml  wing-scales  blackish,  while 
abdomen  ia  a  bright  oohei  yellow.     Length,  .08  Inch. 

Its  in/in  us  mill  Food  Plant*. —  It  confines  its  attacks  almosl  exclusively 
to  tlic  Squash  and  Pumpkin,  although  it  is  m>t  improbable  thai  other 
oncnrbitaceous  vines  also  Buffer  from  it. 

The  bug  punctures  the  leaves  and  the  stem  of  the  vine,  causing  them 
to  wrinkle  and  wither;  also  the  fruit. 

The  eggs  are  laid  in  patches,  twenty  or  thirty  together, on  the  upper 
or  lower  surface  of  the  leaves,  fastened  to  the  leaf  with  a  sticky  or  gluey 
substance,  at  nighl  or  jusl  before  dark,  for  during  the  day  these  disgust- 
ing bugs  seek  Bbelter  in  the  .mound  or  under  trash  at  the  base  of  the 
vino  stalk. 

It  is  curious  to  watch  them  come  forth  from  their  hiding  places  as  the 

sun  sinks  and  darkness  begins  to  tall.      Br 1  alter  brood  march  up  the 

vine,  led  by  an  older  one.  like  the  dilVerent  corps  of  an  army  march  to 
the  parade  ground  at  roll  call.  They  come  from  everywhere — in  the 
ground,  under  grass,  trash,  and  hoards.  Indeed,  il  is  astonishing  to  see 
how  soon  vine  .  w  ill  be  crowded  with  these  bugs,  where  but  a  few  hours 

before  not  one  could  he  found. 

Natural  Enemies  and  Parasites. — Birds  and  fowls,  on  account  of  their 
peculiar  odor,  will  not  feed  on  them,  and  beetles,  wasps,  and  spiders, 
which  attack  caterpillars  ami  other  insects,  .shun  it  as  a  foul  thing. 
Fortunately,  however,  there  are  parasites  that  prej  on  the  egg,  and  thus 
greatly  diminish  it,  although  no  author  that  I  am  aware  of  mentions 
this  fact.  It  was  therefore  a  surprise  and  a  gratification  for  me  when  I 
bred  three  distinct  parasites  from  the  eggs  the  past  summer— a  Kupcl- 
mid,  an  Bncyrtid,  and  a  Telenomid. 

The  Sqi  ash-ecg  Egg  Telknomu: — Felenomus  anaaa  u.  sp  Mmi.  lxd  Female.— 
Black,  \ii\  coarsely  irregularly  reticulate!}  punctate,  with  white  pubescence; 
antennas  in  female  clavate,  12-jointed,  brown;  in  male  flagellate,  14-jointed,  pale 
brown  :  legs,  pale  broti  n  or  j  ello\i  i>h  brown  :  coxe,  black  :  abdomen  in  Female,  ovate, 
sub-convex  above,  highly  convex  beneath,  and  with  a  light  carina  at  aides ;  in  mole 
somewhat  fusiform.  Wings,  hyaline,  with  a  ilight  fnacoua  tinge,  pubescent,  the  mar- 
ginal vein  very  Bhort,  poet  marginal  long, while  tin-  Btigmal  is  about  two-thin 
long  .is  post  marginal :  all  yellowish. 

Described  from  numerous  specimens  brad  in  June  ami  July. 

About  thirty  per  cent,  of  tic  eggs  collected  were  parasitized  bj 

insect. 

rin.  Squash-bi  '.   Ego  l  K<  vi;iii'-/.'»nr.,«.  aaaea    n.  Bp. — Female. — Length,  .05 
inch;  robust;  head  and  thorax  blue-block;  abdomen  ami  tip  of  scntellum  cupn 
the  very  larp>  pleura  and  cheeks  are  decidedly  bine :  antenna  ami  legs  pale  brown  :  tin-. 


24 

scape  at  base  and  tarsi  yellowish.     The  femora  Lave  a  large  bluish-black  blotch  in  the 
middle. 

Described  from  two  specimens. 

The  Eeduvius  Egg  Eupelmid — Fupclmus  reduvii  Howard. — Seven 
specimens  of  what  I  have  identified  as  this  species  were  bred  from  Anasa 
eggs  in  July. 

For  a  description  of  the  species  see  Canadian  Entomologist,  Vol.  XII, 
page  207. 

THE   SQUASH   BORER. 

(Eudioptis  nitidalis  Cramer.) 

The  worm  so  commonly  found  with  us  boring  into  squashes,  at  the 
North  goes  under  the  name  of  "  Pickle  Worm."  There  it  is  found  eat- 
ing the  leaves  and  boring  into  the  fleshy  portions  of  the  Cucumber. 

Distribution. — It  is  found  in  the  West  Indies,  throughout  the  United 
States,  and  in  Canada. 

Food  Plants. — As  a  borer  it  is  found  in  Squash,  Cucumbers,  and  Mel- 
ons, but  it  will  also  feed  on  the  leaves  of  all  of  these  vines.  The  moth 
is  very  common  and  it  must  have  other  food  plants;  Guenee  mentions 
a  species  of  Potato  as  its  food  plant. 

Its  Injuries  — The  worms  bore  cylindrical  holes  into  the  Squash,  and 
feed  on  the  fleshy  pulp,  causing  it  to  rot  and  decay. 

Parasites. — From  one  of  the  pupae  I  bred  a  Chalcid  fly,  Chalcis  ovata, 
S.iy,  but  no  other  parasites  are  known  to  infest  it. 

Remedy. — Professor  Riley,  Second  Missouri  Entomological  Report,]). 
70,  suggests  "overhauling  the  vines  early  in  the  summer,  and  destroying 
the  first  worms  that  appear,  either  by  feeding  the  infested  fruit  to  hogs  or 
cattle,  or  by  killing  the  worms  on  the  spot." 

THE  SQUASH  VINE  BORER. 

[Melittia  ceto  Westw.). 

This  well  known  insect,  unlike  Eudioptis  nitidalis,  does  not  bore  into 
the  Squash  or  fruit,  but  into  the  stem  of  the  vine,  often  killing  it. 

I  have  taken  two  or  three  borers  at  a  time  from  a  single  stem,  and  in 
confinement  they  proved  to  be  cannibalistic — feeding  upon  one  an- 
other— as  was  exemplified  with  some  1  attempted  to  rear  this  summer. 

No  borers  were  observed  in  the  vine  until  July. 

Distribution. — Found  generally  throughout  the  United  States. 

Food  Plants. — Its  attacks  are  almost  strictlj'  confiued  to  the  Squash, 
although  it  has  been  reported  to  bore  at  times  into  Pumpkin  vines. 

Its  Lifp:  History. — The  egg. — The  egg  is  oval  and  of  a  dull  red. 

The  Larva. — Full  grown  larva1  measure  from  one  inch  to  one  inch  and  a  fourth. 
Somewhat  depressed,  fleshy,  soft,  tapering  at  each  extremity  ;  segments  ten  in  num- 
ber, very  distinct,  the  incisions  being  deep;  the  eleventh  or  last  segment  minute,  and 
hardly  distinct  from  the  tenth.  Head  retractile,  small,  brown,  paler  on  the  front,  and 
with  the  usual  V-like  mark  on  it.  First  segment  or  collar  with  two  oblique  brown 
marks  on  the  top.  converging  behind.     A  dark  line,  occasioned   by  the  dorsal  vessel 


teen  through  the  transparent  --l> iloog  1 1 » « -  top  of  tbe  baok,  from  the  ronrtfa  t"  the 

t  I'll  ill  rin^s  inolusive.     True  legs  six,  art  ion  late,  brown  :  protege  wanting  "i  replaced 
by  donbli  books  In  pain  beneatb  the  eixth,  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  ringe, 

and  two  single  rows  under  the  lasl   ring,     Bpiraoles  brown •     A,  few  very  short  hairs 
on  each  ring,  arising  singly  from  little  bard  points  or  pit  like,  wartj  substances. 

Pupa. — rhis  is  inolosed  to  d   oocoon   made  of  tbe  -•  | n;i -^h  si.-ilk,  tied  togethei 
wit h  a  few  silken  t breads. 

I'hi  Moth.  —The  wings  expand  one  inch  and  one  quarter.  Opaque  lustrous,  olive- 
brown;  bind  wind's  transparent,  with  tbe  margin  and  fringes  brown;  antennas 
inish  black,  i>.il|>i  pale  yellow,  with  a  little  black  tufl  near  tbe  tip ;  thorax  uii\  •■ ; 
a  lull  mil' n  deep  orange,  witb  a  transverse  basal  black  band,  and  a  longitudinal  i"\\  of 
live  or  six  black  spots ;  tibial  and  tars)  of  the  hind  legs  thicklj  fringed  on  the  in- 
side with  black,  and  on  the  outside  with  long  orange-colored  bairs;  spurs  oovered 
«  ith  u  bite  bairs.       II .11 : 

lis  Injuries. — The  female  moth  [ays  an  egg  <>n  the  vine  near  the 
roots;  the  worm  which  hatches  therefrom  bores  into  and  feeds  on  the 
soft  succulent  interior  of  the  stem,  particularly  at  its  origin  near  the 
ground,  and  at  the  base  of  the  leaves;  frequently  when  small  the 
worm  bores  even  into  the  larger  leaf-veins.  It  may  easily  be  detected 
at  work  by  the  withering  of  the  leaves  and  stem. 

Parasite*. — 1  know  of  no  parasites  bred  from  this  borer;  altbongh  I 
have  a  large,  beautiful,  golden  green  Pteromalid,  captured  on  the 
vines,  thai  may  possibly  prove  to  be  its  parasite;  others  were  seen  OU 
the  vine  or  its  vicinity. 

/,',  nedies.— The  following  suggestions  and  remedies  will  be  found  use- 
ful in  destroying  the  pest: 

Cutting  out  the  larvai. — This  method  has  been  long  in  use  by  garden- 
era,  ami  with  a  little  practice  one  soon  becomes  quite  expert  in  detecting 
and  removing  the  larva'. 

Bisulphide  of  Carbon  in  (he  Ground. — Prof.  ('.  V.  Riley  first  suggested 
tht>  use  of  this  insecticide  in  destroying  grape  phylloxera  and  Prof.  A. 
.J.  Cook  has  since  used  it  successfully  in  destroying  this  borer.  Re 
Bays:  "A  small  hole  is  made  in  the  earth  near  the  main  root  of  the 
plant  by  the  use  of  a  walking-stick  or  other  rod.  and  about  a  teaspoonful 
of  the  liquid  poured  in,  when  the  hole  is  quickly  tilled  with  earth  and 
pressed  down  by  the  foot."  In  every  instance  the  insects  were  killed 
without  injury  to  the  plant. 

Gas-lime. —  Fresh  gas»!ime,  liberally  distributed,  after  the  removal  of 
the  crop,  will  kill  the  larva-  within  the  cocoons.  It  is  well  also  to  fol- 
low Professor  Limner,  who  says:  "'An  infested  crop  should  not  be 
followed  by  another  upon  the  same  ground." 

Treatment  with  Saltpeter. — ((Four  tablespoonfuls  dissolved  in  a  pail 
of  water,  ami  about  a  quart  applied  to  each   lull  where  an  attack   ' 
noticed   and  the   leaves  were  wilting,  at  the  time  when  the  vines  were 

just  beginuing  to  run  nicely,  effectually  arrested  the  attack  an  1  a  fine 
crop  followed."    (Countr;/  Gentleman.) 


26 


INSECTS  AFFECTING  THE  MELON. 

There  are  two  insect  pests  which  seriously*  damage  this  crop  in  Florida — 
a  borer  and  an  Aphis — both  damaging  the  crop  annually  to  the  extent 
of  thousands  of  dollars. 

THE   MELON    BORER. 

(Eudioptis  liyalinata  Linn.; 

In  July  the  melon  crop  (Cantaloupes  and  Musk-melons)  is  almost 
totally  destroyed  by  the  injuries  committed  by  this  worm.  By  the  end 
■of  the  mouth  hardly  a  melon  can  be  found  that  has  not  been  bored  into 
by  this  destructive  pest. 

^Distribution. — Itis  a  common  and  extensively  distributed  species  over 
North  America,  the  West  Indies,  and  South  America.  Guenee  also 
records  having  received  it  from  French  Guiana. 

Its  total  annihilation  is  devoutly  wished  for  by  growers  and  lovers  of 
good  melons,  and  a  preventive  from  its  attacks  greatly  desired. 

Food  Plants. — In  several  instances  I  have  taken  the  larvae  in  Squash, 
but  it  is  almost  exclusively  confined  to  the  Melon.  From  two  to  six 
worms  have  been  taken  from  a  single  nutmeg  melon.  Guenee  states  it 
is  found  in  Pumpkins,  Watermelons,  and  other  cucurbitaceous  plants. 
Now,  I  have  never  yet  found  a  borer  in  Watermelons,  and  tue  statement 
that  this  worm  is  fouud  in  this  fruit  must  be  taken  cum  grano  salis. 

The  Larva. — Length  eight-tenths  of  an  inch.  Color  transitu  ent  green  or  pale  green- 
ish-yellow, with  the  head  and  cervical  shield  yellowish  ;  the  jaws  and  surroundings 
of  mouth  parts  black;  from  both  sides  of  head  issue  some  tine  hairs  ;  the  stigmata  are 
yellowish  ;  the  warty  tubercles  on  the  different  segments  are  arranged  as  in  the  larva 
of  Eudiopius  nUidaKs,  its  nearest  ally,  only  they  are  neither  so  prominent  nor  black, 
but  green,  and  the  hairs  issuing  therefrom  are  very  tine  and  almost  invisible  to  the 
naked  eye  ;  the  legs  are  the  same  in  both  species. 

The  Pupa. — This  is  long  and  slender,  seven-twelfths  of  an  inch  in  length,  yellow- 
brown,  darker,  and  tapering  to  a  point  at  tail;  the  wing  cases  are  long  and  rather 
narrow,  aud  the  antennal  case  is  very  long,  projecting  beyond  the  base  of  the  8th 
ventral  segment.  All  the  segments  are  well  separated,  microscopally  rugose  and 
wrinkled.  The  pupa  is  generally  inclosed  in  a  loosely-woven  web  or  cocoon  made  by 
drawing  a  leaf  together.  But  this  is  not  always  the  case.  In  two  iustances  I  found 
the  pupa  loose  in  the  soft  pulp  of  the  melou,  iu  the  juiciest  portion,  and  it  was  cpiite 
lively,  twisting  its  abdomen  from  side  to  side  aud  wiggling  about  like  a  thing  of 
life.* 

The  Moth. — Wing  expanse  from  one  inch  and  one-sixth  to  a  little  over.  The  wings 
are  translucent,  pearly  white,  iridescent,  and  with  a  glossy  brown-black  border;  the 
abdomen  is  also  pearly  white,  excepting  the  last  two  segments  above,  which  are  black- 
ish, and  ends  in  a  tuft  of  hairs  or  expanded  brush,  of  a  bull'  color,  tipped  with  white 
and  black  ;  the  head  and  the  thorax  above  are  brown-black,  glossy  ;  the  legs  are  white 
excepting  the  fore-thighs  and  tibiae,  which  are  discolored  above  with  butt-colored 
scales;  middle  tibite  armed  with  two  spines,  one  longer  than  the  other;  posterior 
tibia;  similarly  armed,  but  with  au  additional  pair  iu  the  middle,  beneath. 


21 

\t%  1  Tbe  larva  begiu  bj  eating  tbe  leases,  and  tbe  diet  of 

the  flrel  brood  of  worms  mast  consist  almost  exclusively  of  pbyllopba. 
^008  food,  li  is  ouly  us  the  melons  begin  to  mature  tbal  tbe  worms 
lull  c  i  hid  t  in  in  ;  for  comparative)  j  few  green  melons  were  found  uffected. 

<  >t  tin-  large  melons  examined,  from  four  i<>  >i\  worms  wen-  taken 
from  each,  and  ineverj  ease  wbere  this  bappened  tbe  melon  had  reached 
n>  lull  growth  iiml  was  undergoing  tbe  process  of  ripening. 

This  worm  does  not  always  bore  directly  into  the  interior  of  the  fruit, 
sometimes  coufluing  itself  to  the  outer  riud  or  boring  irregular  galleries 

just  beneatb  it  ;    When  it  attacks   the  inner  it   fleshy  portion  S  il  is  most 

destructive,  excavating  long  galleries  iilled  witb  its  sofl  excrements,  in 

whicb  the  worm  wallows  ami  crawls  backward  ami  forward,  and  the 

fruit  then  SOOn  sours  ami  ilc 

Paraei  «.— Two  parasites  were  reported  on  the  worm  in  the  Agricul- 
tural Report  lor  1871).  An  [chneumouid  fly (Pimplaconquisitor Saj  .ami 
a  Tachiua  ily  are  represented  in  Plate  III.  Pig.  B,  of  said  report.  No 
parasites  were  bred  from  it  by  me,  the  majority  of  the  pupa'  in  my  breed- 
ing boxes  having  been  destroyed  by  a  small  red  ant. 

Remedy. — See  Squasb  Borer. 

Tilt:    MKl.n.N    PLANT-LOUSE 

(Aphis  citrulli  Ashmead.  l 

M\  fust  acquaintance  with  this  plant-loose  was  made  while  on  an 
entomological  tour  to  extreme  South  Florida  in  April,  1880,  mi  Meta- 

COmbie    Key.  where  it    had   completely  devastated    the   melon   patch   of 

a  Mr.  Bands. 

Mr.  s.,  who  was  a  native  of  the  Bahamas,  termed  the  disease 
"Curled  Leaf,"  ami  was  not  aware  it  was  caused  l»y  an  insect,  until  I 
convinced  him  of  that  fact  by  showing  him  the  insects  through  my 

pocket   lens. 

'ribution. — At  times  the  species  is  very  injurious  to  melon  vines  in 
Florida,  Georgia,  ami  places  in  the  West.     Prof.  8.  A.  Forbes  treats  of 

this  s  line  insect  umler  the  name  of  ••  the  Melon  Plant-louse,"  (Aphis  CU- 

cumcria  n.  sp  i,  in  the  Twelfth  lieport  of  the  state  Entomologist  «»f 
Illinois,  page  83.  it  wan  fust  briofly  described  by  the  writer  in  the 
Florida  Dispatch,  New  Scries,  Vol.  1,  page  241,  July  7,  1SS2,  more  than 
a  year  previous  to  the  <1  iscnption  by  Professor  Form 

/  /  Plants. — its  attacks  are  confined  generally  to  tbe  watermelon 
vines,  although  occasionally  found  on  s  juash  ami  other  Cucnrbitacea?. 

In  the  West  its  habits  seem  to  he  similar.     Dr.  Gyrus  Thomas,  in 

'  Synonym,  Apk  p.,  XII,  ; 

Mr.  Ashmead  disregards  the  well-known  rub  -  □ em  latnre  in  in-i-t- 

ing  upon  tin'  priority  of  lu>  .1.  citrulli,  .^  .\  uame  attached  to  ,\  description  pnhlished 
simply  in  the  Florida  /'i-/<  t  hold.    Tbis  thonld  lie  known  -i-  .1. 

eucHmeria  Forbes. — (.'.  V.  1> 


28 

the  Farmers'  Review  for  September  2,  1880,  says:  "There  has  been 
great  complaint  among  our  gardeners  this  season  in  reference  to  a 
plant-louse  that  is  doing  much  injury  to  the  nutmeg  and  muskmelon 
vines,  and  also  to  the  cucumber  vines.  In  some  iostauces  they  have 
almost  entirely  destroyed' the  entire  fields  of  vines." 

Irs  Natural  History. —  Very  Young. — Length,  .02  inch;  greenish  yellow;  eyes, 
brown  ;  tips  of  honey  tubes  brown  ;  legs  pale. 

Wingless  Female.— Length,  .04  inch;  yellow;  eves  dark  brown;  honey  tubes 
slightly  conical,  black;  cauda  distinct,  dark  green  :  legs  pah' ;  extreme  tips  of  tibiae 
and  tarsi  black. 

Winged  Females. — Length,  .05  inch,  ovate;  head  and  thorax  shining  black,  some- 
times with  the  protboracic  segment  green  or  yellowish  :  the  antenna-  are  dark  and  do 
not  reach  the  honey  tubes;  abdomen  dark-greeuish  yellow,  spotted  along  sides: 
honey  tubes  black,  thickest  at  base,  gradually  tapering  to  tip  ;  cauda  distinct,  green- 
ish yellow  or  dark  green  ;  wings  hyaline,  with  stigma  and  veins  pale  yellowish  ;  legs 
pale,  with  tarsi  aud  extreme  tips  of  tibiie  and  femora  black. 

Its  Injuries. — The  viviparous  female  breeds  very  rapidly  and  is  soon 
surrounded  by  young  in  various  stages  of  growth.  In  a  brief  time  these 
reach  maturity,  wander  off  to  new  leaves  and  shoots,  and  begin  colonies 
of  their  own.  When  these  lice  become  too  numerous  they  exhaust  the 
vitality  of  the  vine,  distort  the  leaves  and  cause  them  to  curl  up  aud 
wither.  The  growing  terminal  shoots  are  also  crowded  with  them,  and 
then  the  vine  can  make  no  headway  ;  it  is  fruitless  and  dies. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  destructive  plant  lice.  To  illustrate  its  destruc- 
tiveness  I  canuot  do  better  than  quote  from  an  article  I  wrote  in  Florida 
Dispatch,  July  27,  18S2,  after  investigating  its  injuries  in  Georgia: 

Some  figures  here  in  regard  to  the  damage  done  by  the  "Watermelon  Aphis"'  will 
not  be  amiss,  and  will  show  our  planters  the  necessity  for  prompt  and  united  efforts 
in  its  destruction. 

In  Georgia  the  estimated  yield  of  the  watermelon  crop  this  year  (1882)  for  ship- 
ment was  900  car-loads,  or  900,000  melons.  Many  at  the  beginning  of  the  season 
bring  $40  and  $50  per  hundred.  However,  to  keep  withiu  a  fair  valuation  aud  rather 
below  the  true  amount,  we  will  say  they  bring  $25  per  hundred,  which  equals,  in 
round  numbers,  for  the  crop  $225,000.  Now,  what  has  been  the  yield?  The  ship- 
ments are  nearly  over,  and  they  have  not  yet  reached  600  car-loads,  a  falling  off  of 
33-V  per  cent.,  or  a  total  loss  of  $75,000,  due  mainly  to  the  ravages  of  an  insect! 

The  above  statistics  of  loss  are  founded  upon  data  of  the  estimate  yield  for  but 
three  counties,  principally  Thomas,  Brooks,  and  Lowndes,  in  Georgia.  Iu  Florida 
the  crop  has  from  the  same  cause  met  with  a  loss  still  greater,  and  we  are  considera- 
bly below  the  estimate  when  we  say  the  total  loss  to  the  planters  of  the  two  States 
is  not  less  than  $150,000. 

Natural  Enemies  and  Parasites. — These  have  not  been  specially 
studied,  but  the  enemies  and  parasites  will  be  found  to  be  similar  to 
those  of  the  ll  Cabbage  Aphis"— flies  belonging  to  the  family  Syrphi- 
d;e,  the  Lace-wings  (Chrysopidce),  Ghalcid  flies  (GhaleididcB,)  aud  Lady- 
birds (Goccinellidce.) 

Remedies. — An  important  help  iu  their  destructiou,  and  to  which  the 
planters'  especial  attention  is  requested,  and  which  is  equally  applicable 
to  other  crops,  is  the  following,  which,  if  universally  carried  out,  would 


29 

material];  assist  in  the  destruction  of  all  noxkrasand  destructive  Insect 
pests  : 

Never  plant  watermelons  two  successive  years  In  the  same  field. 
Planl  always  in  an  entirely  new  field  and  as  far  off  as  possible  from 
ground  in  whicb  they  were  grown  the  previous  yeai 

My  reason  for  recommending  this  is  obvious  on  account  of  the  peeul 
iarity  in  the  development  and  propagation  of  the  Aphididm.  The 
spring  and  summer  broods  in  the  majority  of  the  Bpecies  are  vivipa- 
rous, w  bile  the  fall  brood  of  females  are  oviparous.  The  last,  therefore, 
lay  the  eggs,  which  lie  dormant  in  the  ground  ;ill  winter  and  hatch  with 
the  first  warm  breath  of  spring ;  now,  then,  if  this  field  is  plowed  up 
and  other  orops  planted,  the  young  aphids  have  nothing  to  feed  on 
and  so  perish. 

M\  observation  on  this  species,  too,  has  been,  that  it  is  only  trouble- 
some in  fields  planted  in  melons  two  or  three  years  in  succession  :  new 
melon  fields  are  nol  alVectcd  by  it,  or  to  such  a  small  extent  as  to  be  un- 
noticeable. 

Spraj  ing  with  ;i  dilute  emulsion  ot  kerosene  will  doubtless  prove  an 
effectual   remedy  as  with  other  plant  lice.    The  emulsion  should  be 

Sprayed  from  the  ground  Up  SO  as  to  reach  the  under  sides  of  the  leaves. 
Profe&SOr  Riley  has  figured  and  described   devices    for    this    method    of 

Bpraying  in  his  report  as  entomologist  to  the  Department  tor  L883,  pp. 
136-138,  and  Plates  IV  and  V. 


REPORT  ON  BUFFALO  GNATS. 
By  1".  If.  Webster,  Special  Agent, 

LETTER  OK    II:  \N-MI  I  l  AX. 

Lai  n  i  in,  Im>..  April  ■  0,  1886, 

siu:  I  herewith  transmit  a  reportof  my  investigations  of  the  habits  of  the  Southern 
Buffalo-gnat. 

[n  aooordanee  with  yonr  instructions  I  left  my  home  :n  La  Payette,  Indiana,  on 
February  18,  reaching  Vioksbnrg,  Mississippi,  on  the  20th,  Learning  here  that  these 
gnats  appeared  every  season  in  greater  or  less  nnmbers  in  the  vicinity  of  Somerset 
Landing,  Tensas  Parish,  1.  misiana,  in  company  with  Mr.  T.  ('.  Bedford,  <>('  Vioksbnrg, 
ono  of  the  leasers  of  Somerset  Plantation,  I  left  for  thai  locality  on  the  22d,  reach- 
ing our  destination  on  the  same  da] . 

On  the  23d,  the  weather  being  very  pleasant,  tin'  day  was  spent  in  riding  abont 
among  the  teams  at  worl  on  the  plantation,  in  tin-  hopes  of  observing  some  of  the 
earliest  appearing  gi 

During  the  afternoon  swarms  of  a  Bpecies  of  Ant  ho  mgia  were  observed  in  the  air.  and 
I  was  informed  that  these  were  the  insects  that  killed  oat  tie  and  mules.  Tlie  follow- 
ing day  was  both  cold  and  rainy,  and.  in  fact,  daring  the  two  weeks  following  there 
were  lint  two  days  of  sunshine. 

Dnring  this  inclement  weather  the  lakes  and  bayous  about  Somerset  were  carefully 
examined,  no  trace  of  the  true  gnat  being  found.     In  tin-  meantime  larva  of    .in 
ihomi.in  were  found  in  considerable  abundance  about  decayed  lo^s  and  among  de- 
1  leaves  in  the  wo  i  Is,  an  1.  as  the  planters  to  orb  >  n  I  applied  for  inform  it  ion  al- 


30 

most  unanimously  agreed  that  these  adult  Anthomyia  were  the  depredators,  it  really 
seemed  that  the  term  Buffalo-gnat  here  might,  like  the  Tent-worm  and  the  Weevil  in 
other  localities,  include  a  variety  of  insects. 

Wishing  to  make  the  best  possible  use  of  time  I  utilized  the  bad  weather  also  by 
visiting  our  correspondent,  Mr.  Robert  E.  Craig,  at  I. una  Landing,  Chicot  County, 
Arkansas,  spending  a  few  days  there,  and  at  Greenville,  .Mis-.,  returning  to  Somer- 
set March  B. 

The  9th  and  10th  being  pleasant,  the  Anthomyia  again  appeared,  but,  although 
very  demonstrative,  none  were  observed  to  alight  upon  the  teams  at  work.  This  fact 
led  to  the  impression  that  my  information  had  been  incorrect,  and  that  1  was  on  the 
wrong  track.  This  proved  true,  for  during  my  entire  stay  I  never  saw  one  of  these 
Anthomyia  alight  on  stock. 

On  the  11th  word  came  that  mules  were  being  harassed  by  gnats  on  a  plantation 
six  miles  to  the  northwest,  and,  on  the  following  day,  1  rode  out  to  that  locality  and 
found  the  true  gnat  in  considerable  numbers. 

Four  days  were  now  spent  in  a  fruitless  search  for  the  adolescent  stages  iu  the 
bayous  and  ditches  adjacent  to  the  locality  where  the  adults  had  now  appeared,  and 
as  many  more  were  lost  on  account  of  bad  weather. 

During  this  time,  and  up  to  noon  of  the  20th,  no  adult  gnats  had  appeared  on  the 
Somerset  plantation.  A  strong  northwest  wind  had,  however,  set  in  during  the  morn- 
ing, and  by  evening  the  gnats  were  quite  abundant.  The  next  day  (Sunday)  the 
wind  blew  still  stronger  from  the  same  quarter,  and  Monday  morning,  the  SJ2d,  found 
them  abundant  enough  to  cause  some  considerable  uneasiness  among  the  teams  at 
work. 

Fully  satisfied  now  that  these  gnats  did  not  breed  in  the  vicinity  of  Somerset,  I 
started  out  on  horseback,  and  after  riding  for  about  eight  miles  toward  the  northwest 
reached  a  small  stream  known  as  Mill  Bayou.  Following  this  down  stream,  through 
the  woods,  the  current  soon  became  quite  rapid,  the  banks  being  more  or  less  growu 
up  with  brush  and  bushes,  to  below  the  water's  edge.  The  gnats,  too,  whose  num- 
bers had  been  continually  increasing,  now  became  numerous  enough  to  worry  my 
horse  considerably. 

Finding  that  little  could  be  accomplished  iu  the  way  of  inspect  ing  the  stream  with- 
out a  boat,  aud  it  being  too  late  in  the  day  to  procure  one,  I  returned  to  Somerset. 

On  the  next  day,  the  23d,  procuring  a  dugout,  a  thorough  examination  was  made 
not  only  of  Mill  Bayou,  but  of  two  others,  tributaries  to  it,  oue  of  which  had  no  per. 
ceptible  current,  the  result  being  that  where  there  was  no  current  no  larva-  of  gnats 
could  be  found.  As  the  current  became  sluggish  a  few  were  observed,  the  number  in- 
creasing in  proportion  to  its  rapidity,  reaching  the  maximum  in  numbers  in  the 
swiftest  current  of  Mill  Bayou;  always  provided,  howeve  r,  there  was  sufficient  mate- 
rial to  which  to  attach  themselves.  Thus,  the  larvae  would  occur  abundantly  on  one 
side  of  the  stream,  where  a  bend  caused  it  to  run  very  swiftly,  while  on  the  opposite 
side,  in  comparatively  still  water,  few  could  be  found. 

Upon  inquiry  and  persoual  investigation,  this  bayon  was  found  to  be  receiving 
water  from  the  Mississippi  River  through  Lake  Palmyra  aud  Bayon  Vidal,  and  also 
that  its  water  rose  and  fell  with  that  of  the  river  itself,  until  the  height  of  the  latter 
fell  below  25  feet  on  the  gauge  at  Vicksburg. 

It  now  seemed  quite  important  to  learn  to  what  extent,  if  any,  the  other  inland 
bayous  were  influenced  iu  this  manner,  and,  as  the  country  is  of  difficult  access,  I 
thought  best  to  visit  our  correspondent,  Judge  .V.  A.  Gunby,  of  M  mroe,  Louisiana, 
whose  circuit  I  knew  comprised  the  entire  infested  territory  of  the  northwestern  por- 
tion of  the  State,  and  whom,  I  learned,  was  then  at  home  on  a  short  vacation. 

Leaving  Somerset  on  the  25th,  and  returning  again  ou  the  31st,  I  was,  by  this 
journey,  enabled  not  only  to  obtain  much  valuable  information  from  Judge  Gunby, 
but  also  to  examine  the  Washita  River,  aud  also,  but  very  superficially,  on  account 
of  recent  heavy  rains,  the  couutry  between  it  and  the  Mississippi  River. 


31 

Finishing  mj  labors  ti  Somerset  on  Um  "ill  of  April,  I  bade  a  final  adien  in  the 
o ii rj  and  i m ned  home* ard. 

ToMaJ.T.  C.  Bedford,  of  Vioksbnrg,  and  Mi  J.  B.  O'Kelley,  of  Somerset  Landing, 
I  am  iiihIit  \  i  r\  manj  obligations.  Ft Drat  to  last  -and!  made  the  latter  gentle- 
man's home  mj  headquarters  for  over  .1  1 11I1     both  left  nothing  undone  thai  oonld 

aid  roe  in  my  work,  or  make  my  stnj  pleasant. 

r.>  Jndge  F,  11.  Faner,  of  Bayoa  Sara,  Jndge  E   i>.  Faner,  and  other  gentlemen  of 
Vioksburg,  to  General  Furgerson,  "t  the  Mississippi  Loan  Board,  Jndge  Qunby,  and 
rs.  Koherl  K.  Craig  and  Johu  M    Lee,  [  am  nnder  obligations  for  both  personal 
courtesies  and  aid  in  my  Investigations. 

Ami  lastly,  I  have  had  your  own  kin  lly  advice  an  1  oouusel,  the  m  ire  valuable  from 
your  personal  knowledge  of  the  country  and  of  the  insect. 
Reaped  fully, 


I  .   M.   WEBS!  I.K. 


Dr.  C.  V.  Km  1  r, 

L' 11  In  did  I 


There  is  do  authentic  record  of  the  occurrence  of  the  Southern  Buffalo- 
gnat  in  Louisiana  prior  to  the  year  L850,  when  there  seems  to  have 
been  some  complaint  of  their  harassing  domestic  animals,  imt  no  fa 
tality  is  known  to  have  resulted.  A  vague  rumor  exists  to  the  effect 
thai  tlie.v  bad  previously  appeared  in  1846;  but  this  lacks  confirmation. 
The  curliest  record  I  have  been  able  to  obtain  of  stock  being  killed  by 
gnats  was  related  to  me  by  Mr.  Jacob  Alexander,  present  mayor  of 
Greenville,  Miss.,  who  states  that  he  observed  cattle  being  killed  by 
gnats  at  Clarendon.  Ark.,  in  the  Bpring  of  1869. 

\  colored  man.  formerly  an  overseer,  states  that  mules  were  killed  by 
gnats  near  Refnge,  Miss.,  in  1861  and  1862.  General  Furgerson,  who 
came  to  Greenville,  Miss.,  in  1862,  with  a  battery  of  Confederate  artillery. 
states  that  gnats  were  exceedingly  troublesome  to  horses  and  mules 
during  the  Spring  of  that  year.  They  were  also  observed  in  Concordia 
Parish,  Louisiana,  during  the  Bpring  of  L862. 

In  1863  and  1864  the  gnats  were  very  abundant  about  Shreveport, 
La.,  and  also  Chicot  County,  Arkansas.  No  trouble  IS  reported  during 
L865,  but  in  1866  the  alluvial  country  between  the  Arkansas  and  Led 
Rivers  lying  east  of  the  Washita  was  literally  overrun  with  the  pots. 
Mr.  T.  8.  ( loons,  an  intelligent  planter  living  at  the  time  near  New  Car- 
thage, Tensas  Parish,  Louisiana,  preserved  a  written  memorandum  made 
at  the  time  the  gnats  first  appeared. 

From  this  record  we  learn   that   up  to   the   afternoon    of  April  11  no 

gnats  had  been  observed,  but  towards  evening  they  came  in  hordes, 

settling  upon  and  biting  the  mules  and  horses  and  throwing  them  into 
the  greatest  agony.  Of  6  mules  and  *J  horses  belonging  to  Mr.  Coons, 
all  of  which  were  as  well  as  usual  on  the  morning  of  the  1  It'll,  the  morn- 
ing of  the  12th  found  only  one  mule  alive.  In  the  meantime, a  neigh- 
boring planter  had  lost  30  mules,  and  Mr.  Douglas,  on  Somerset  plan- 
tation, a  few  miles  below,  had  lost  To  mules. 

The  mortality  throughout  the  parishes  of  Madison.  Tensas,  and  Con- 


32 

cordia,  within  a  few  days,  amounted  to  upwards  of  4,000  mules  and 
horses,  principally  the  former. 

Although  frequently  causing-  more  or  less  trouble  and  loss,  the  gnats 
did  not  again  appear,  generally,  and  in  such  countless  myriads  until 
1882,  although  they  caused  serious  injury  in  Tensas  Parish  in  1873  and 
1874,  and  doubtless  in  other  localities  also. 

But  in  1882  they  were  more  destructive  to  stock  than  ever  before. 
The  deer  were  driven  from  the  woods,  aud  frequently  took  refuge  from 
their  tormenters  in  the  smokes,  built  by  planters  for  the  protection  ot 
their  cattle ;  when  in  their  agony  they  would  allow  people  to  rub  the 
gnats  from  their  bodies,  and  would  eveu  lay  down  in  the  glowing  em- 
bers, or  hot  ashes,  in  their  frantic  endeavors  to  seek  relief. 

In  1884  the  gnats  again  appeared  in  great  numbers,  and  were  fully  as 
destructive  as  in  1882.  Throughout  Franklin  Parish,  Louisiana,  within  a 
week  from  their  first  appearance,  they  had  caused  the  death  of  3,200 
head  of  stock.  And  for  the  first  time  in  the  history  of  the  pest,  they 
attacked  horses  and  mules  on  the  streets,  and  in  the  stables,  in  the  city 
of  Vicksburg,  Miss. 

No  general  outbreak  took  place  in  1883,  yet  they  appeared  in  Tensas 
and  Franklin  Parishes  in  sufficient  numbers  to  kill  quite  a  number  of 
mules. 

During  the  present  season,  although  the  gnats  appeared  pretty  gen- 
erally throughout  the  country  between  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  and 
that  of  the  Red  River,  and  westward  to  the  Washita,  aud  along  the 
Yazoo  River  in  Mississippi,  no  fatality  to  stock  had  been  reported  up 
to  April  10,  and  there  had  been  little  or  no  suspension  of  work  on 
plantations  on  account  of  gnats. 

Generally  speaking,  the  Southern  Buffalo-gnat  may  be  said  to  infest 
the  low,  flat,  wooded  country  adjaceut  to  the  Mississippi  River  and  its 
tributaries,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River  in  Louisiana  as  far  north 
at  least  as  Southern  Missouri. 

I  have  found  nothing  to  indicate  that  these  gnats  originate  in  large 
streams,  or  even  in  small  ones  in  hilly  localities,  although  tbe  latter 
may  have  both  a  swift  current  and  a  rocky  bed.  The  fact  of  adult 
gnats  occurring  in  such  localities,  eveu  in  destructive  numbers,  is  not  of 
itself  sufficient  proof  of  their  having  originated  there,  as  they  maybe 
carried  loug  distances,  and  in  immense  numbers,  by  a  strong  wind. 
Furthermore,  I  have  found  no  indication  of  their  origin  in  other  than 
perennial  streams,  although  many  intermittent  bayous  and  small  lakes 
were  closely  examined  with  this  point  in  view. 

From  the  foregoing,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  these  gnats 
follow  the  tendency  of  others  of  the  genus,  and  breed  exclusively  in 
the  running  water  of  small  streams.  But  besides  this,  there  is  another 
equally  essential  element,  viz,  something  to  which  the  insect  can  at- 
tach itself  during  the  adolescent  stages.  As  no  rocks  are  found  in  these 
bayous  and  small  streams,  we  find  the  larva?  utilizing  wholly  or  partly 


33 

submerged  stumps, brash, bashes,  or  anj  other  material  of  like  nature, 
olastering  apoa  or  makiag  their  way  upward  and  downward  with  a 
looping  gait,  or  attached  bj  a  minute  thread  like  spider  web, -they  sway 
with  the  ripples  al  or  near  the  surface  of  the  water,  often  half  a  dozen 
being  attached  by  a  single  thread.  While  these  larvae  make  their  way 
up  and  dowu  these  submerged  objects  with  perfect  freedom,  they  do 
not  venture  above  the  water, and  when  aboul  to  pupate  Belect  a  situa- 
tion well  down  toward  the  bottom  of  the  stream.  In  deep  water  they 
were  found  8  to  LOfeel  below  the  Burface,  and  also  much  higher  up. 

But  in  .shallow  water  they  may  lie  found  in  the    pupal  stage,  clustered, 

one  above  the  other,  jusl  above  the  bottom  <>i'  tin-  Btreain,  their  instinct 
having  evidently  taught  them  to  provide  for  a  sadden  tall  in  the  water. 
Notwithstanding  this,  with  the  water  falling  al  therateof  l  foot  per 
day,  I  found  many  pupae  had  been  left  high  and  dry. 

These  pupae  are  at  first  of  a  light  brown  color,  afterwards  changing 
to  a  pinkish  east,  and,  just  previous  to  the  emerging  of  the  adult,    to 

Mack.      During   the  first  of  these   COloral    epochs    thej   are  attached    to 

these  vegetable  substances  by  the  thoracic  filaments,  by  threads  alum; 

the  body  and  at  the  and  extremity,  someu  hat  alter  the  manner  ofsome 

Lepidopterous  ohrysalids;  but  during  the  last  two  the  pupae  hang  by 

the  short  anal  attachment  alone,  and  in  this  way  Swing  aboul  (reels   in 

the  current,  the  adult  issuing  from  beneath  the  water  after  the  manner 

Of  others  of  the  gen  US. 

The  time  and  exact  place  of  OVipOSition  as  well  as  the  exact  length  of 
time  required  for  the  insect  to  piss  through  either  the  larval  or  the 
pupil  stage  I  was  unable  to  determine.     But  when  I  left  Mill   Bayou, 

on  March  24,  the  laiVSB  were  nearly  all  of  a  uniform  si/e  ami  probably 
nearly  full  grOWU.a  few  only  being  one-fourth  to  one  half  as  large.      On 

returning,  on  April  l,  nearly  all  larvae  had  passed  the  pupa  stage,  and 
the  adults  had  emerged;  all  of  those  larvae  now  remaining  being  as 

large  as  the  majority  were  on  March  L't.     This,  besides  indicating  that 

the  breeding  season  was  nearly  ended,  also  leaves  Borne  grounds  tor  the 
inference  that  several  broods  may  lie  thrown  off,  during  early  spring, 

in  rapid  succession  ;  some  Btrength  beiug  added  to  this  theory  by  the 
fact  tint,  as  I  now  learned  from  those  residing  near  this  bayou,  the 
Cattle  had  been  driven  from  the  woods  in  the  vicinity  of  the  stieani 
about  the  20tb  of  February.  These  are  points  which  the  necessarily 
limited  period  during  which  I  had  the  adolescent  Stages  under  consider- 
ation, and  the  sudden,  and  to  me  rather  unexpected,  tei  munition  of  the 
breeding  season,  prevented  my  settling. 

The  adult  guats  are  usually  observed  in  the  vicinity  of  places  where 
they  breed,  during  the  first  warm  days  of  spring,  and  they  remain  from 
ten  days  to  three  or  four  weeks,  seeming  to  prefer  a  moderately  cool  tem- 
perature; and  hence,  during  warm  weather,  are  more  numerous  in  the 
early  morning  and  towards  evening,  frequently  being  as  troublesome 
during-  bright  moonlight  nights  as  during  the  day  time.  The\  are  said 
22340— No.  14 3 


34 

to  spend  the  night  among  grass  and  like  herbage.  They  are  exceedingly 
active,  and  no  sooner  Lave  they  gained  a  foothold  on  an  animal  than 
they  are  busy  at  their  bloody  work,  selecting  the  breast,  flanks,  ears, 
nose,  or  wherever  the  skin  is  the  most  easily  punctured. 

Very  inconspicuous  in  their  flight,  making  little  noise,  seldom  arisiug 
more  than  a  few  feet  from  the  ground,  they  often  bite  mules  working  in 
the  fields,  sufficiently  to  cause  death  before  their  presence  in  considera- 
ble numbers  has  been  discovered.  This  will,  perhaps,  account  for  the 
prevailing  notion  that  the  bite  of  these  gnats  first  appealing  is  the 
most  poisonous,  for  inclement  weather  and  adverse  winds  may  cause 
them  to  appear,  for  the  first,  at  any  time  during  the  breeding  season. 
in  localities  where  they  do  not  actually  originate,  and,  as  will  be  shown 
farther  on,  the  same  wind  that  holds  them  back  from  one  locality  may 
convey  them  to  another.  It  would  appear  as  rather  more  probable, 
however,  that  the  poison  introduced  into  the  animals'  system  by  the 
bites  of  the  first  gnats,  unless  sufficient  to  prove  fatal,  may  to  some  ex- 
tent serve  as  an  antidote  for  that  introduced  by  those  appearing  later; 
and  should  this  poison  remain  in  the  system  with  considerable  stability, 
the  fact  Mould  also  account  for  acclimated  stock  being  less  susceptible  to 
poison  from  the  bites  of  these  gnats  than  those  unacclimated.  Except 
in  the  case  of  great  numbers,  death  does  not  necessarily  follow  the  bite 
of  these  gnats,  and  even  then  it  is  not  suddenly  fatal.  Mules  that  at 
night  do  not  appear  to  be  seriously  injured  will  often  be  found  dead 
next  morning. 

Stock,  and  mules  especially,  that  have  been  fatally  bitten  by  gnats 
are  affected  in  much  the  same  manner  as  with  colic,  and,  in  fact,  many 
think  the  bites  bring  on  that  disease.  But  Dr.  Warren  Xing,  of 
Yicksburg,  who  has  made  a  large  number  of  post  motion  examina- 
tions, states  that  he  has  never  been  able  to  obtain  any  facts  which  would 
justify  such  a  conclusion. 

Dr.  King  opines  that  the  effects  of  these  bites  from  gnats  are  on 
animals  much  the  same  as  that  of  the  rattlesnake  on  the  human  sys- 
tem ;  and  this  seems  to  be  the  genei'ally  accepted  opinion  among  the 
more  intelligent  planters. 

In  regard  to  artificial  methods  of  counteracting  the  poison  of  gnats, 
there  is  of  course  no  end,  apropos  to  which,  oue  planter  remarks  that  if 
the  gnats  failed  to  kill  the  mule  the  remedies  used  certainly  would. 
Be  this  as  it  may,  I  could  learn  of  no  measures  that  had  been  generally 
tested  and  proved  effective,  and  no  opportunity  was  offered  me  to  make 
any  experiments  in  that  direction. 

Dr.  King  recommends  rubbing  the  affected  animal  thoroughly  with 
water  of  ammonia,  and  administering  internally  a  mixture  of  40  to  50 
grains  of  carbonate  of  ammonia  to  one  pint  of  whisky,  repeating  the 
•  lose  every  three  or  four  hours  until  relieved.  The  doctor  claims  to 
have  never  lost  an  animal  under  this  treatment,  although  thej'  were 
sometimes  apparently  beyond   recovery.     This  measure  1  do  not  think 


35 

is  generally  known,  bnl  it  certainly  contains  Bufficienl  raerii  to  warranl 
ft  thorough  and  careful  trial.  Various  external  applications,  such  as 
decoctions  of  Alder  leaves,  tobacco,  pennyroyal  and  other  herbs,  have 
been  tried  with  a  \  iew  of  preventing  gnal  -  from  bitiug  mules  w  bile  at 
work,  bnt  all  of  these  bavc  proven  ineffective.  A.  mixture  known  as 
Gnal  Oil  is  now  the  chief  protection,  bnl  ibis  is  apt  \<>  remove  tin'  bair 
and  is  considered  injurious  to  the  mules.  Fish  oil,  and  also  a  mixture 
of  Kerosene  and  Axle-grease,  are  both  useful,  bnl  uoue  ol  these  can  be 
used  to  advantage  on  Btock  running  at  large. 

Smokes  made  ai.out  the  fields  serve  as  a  partial  protection,  both  to 
teams  at  work  and  .stock  m  pasture.  Smoldering  flres  ot  cotton  seed 
are  also  made  in  tin  cans  ami  like  objects,  ami  these  are  bung  aboul  the 
teams  at  work. 

While  these  protective  agencies  an-  of  considerable  service  \\  hen  there 
are  comparatively  tew  gnats,  they  are  of  little  value  inseasons  of  great 

abundance,  for   then   stock   can   only   be    protected   by  placing  them  in 

dark  stables,  the  gnats  having  a  great  aversion  to  entering  dark  places. 

1  am  told  that  to  look  for  relief  from  simply  killing  the  gnats  would  be 
worse  than  hopeless,  for,  though  millions  were  destroyed,  the}  would 
not  be  missed. 

Judging  from  the  results  of  some  experiments  made  with  insecticides 
by  myself  upon  larva?  of  the  gnats,  it  will  be  nearly  if  not  quite  im- 
possible to  reduce  their  numbers  by  killing  them  in  the  streams. 

These  experiments  were  made   by  Confining  the  larva-  in  glass   tubes 

and  submitting  them  to  a  current  of  the  decoctions  or  solutions  indi- 
cated below. 

Larva-  remained  in  a  d >ction  of  China  berries  for  half  an  hour  with. 

out  apparent  effect,  and  the  same  larva'  immediately  withstood  a  brine 
of  salt  water,  composed  of  a  heaping  handful  of  salt  to  seven  quarts  of 
water,  for  twenty  minutes,  and  still  remained  alive.  Lime-water  and 
sulphur  and  water  had  no  effect.  Strong  tar-water  killed  them,  lint 
diluted   it    proved   harmless.      Kerosene    emulsion,  diluted   to  contain  5 

per  cent,  kerosene,  was  effective,  but  it  would  be  impossible  to  get  a 
strength  of  even  l  per  cent,  in  the  stream.  About  an  ounce  of  Bisul- 
phide of  Carbon  was  placed  in  seven  quarts  of  water,  but  half  an  hour  in 

this  failed  to  affect  the  larva'.  About  three  ounces  was  placed  m  same 
amount  of  water,  and  this  proved  fatal   within  ten  minutes. 

From  this  it  will  be  seen  that  while  the  larva?  are  susceptible  to  ordi- 
nary insecticides,  it  will  be  next  to  impossible  to  place  a  sullicient 
amount  in  a  stream  to  affect  them.  At  the  time,  too,  when  remedial 
measures  are  the  most  needed  these  streams  are  swollen,  and  are  often 
from  ten  to  twenty  yards  wide  and  half  as  deep.  Besides,  both  men  and 
beasts  are  dependent  upon  these  streams  tbr  their  water-supply,  and 
cutting  this  off  byintroducing  poisons  would  cause  almostas  much  trou- 
ble as  the  gnats. 

Notwithstanding  all   attempts  to  COmb.U  this   pest    have  so  far  been 


36 

discouraging,  there  is  yet  some  hope  of  relief,  and  that,  too,  from  quar- 
ters little  expected,  by  myself  at  least,  when  these  investigations  began. 

But,  in  order  to  fully  understand  the  matter,  it  will  be  necessarj*  to 
bring  together,  not  only  chronological  data  relating  to  the  insect  in 
question,  but  to  the  height  of  water  in  the  large  streams  during  the  past 
thirty-live  or  forty  years.  Also,  we  must  understand  something  of  the 
nature  of  the  country  which  these  gnats  inhabit,  as  well  as  the  elements 
necessary  to  their  production.  And  not  only  must  these  facts  be 
weighed  independently,  but  very  carefully  with  relation  to  each  other, 
for  it  is  more  than  probable  that  it  is  through  a  combination  of  circum- 
stances that  the  pest  holds  its  sway. 

A  very  noticeable  feature  connected  with  the  occurrence  of  the  Buf- 
falo gnat  is.  that  below  the  Arkansas  River  there  is  no  record  of  any 
fatality  to  stock,  attributable  to  gnats,  previous  to  the  outbreak  of  the 
war,  even  in  seasons  of  high  water.  But  since  that  time  the  two  have 
occurred  in  connection  with  such  regularity  that  the  fact  has  been 
noted  by  even  the  most  uuobserving;  that  is,  in  season  of  low  water 
during  the  first  three  or  four  months  of  the  year,  there  have  been  few 
gnats,  but  with  high  water  during  these  mouths  they  were  abundant, 
reaching  the  maximum  during  an  overflow. 

The  banks  of  the  rivers  of  this  alluvial  district  are  peculiar,  in  that 
the  country  slopes  from  instead  of  toward  the  streams.  Hence  water, 
escaping  through  the  banks  first  runs  inland,  and  then  more  or  less 
parallel  with  the  parent  stream,  until  it  can  empty  its  waters  into  a 
larger  tributary.  Of  this  characteristic  of  the  Mississippi,  Bed,  and 
Yazoo  Rivers,  whether  considered  individually  or  collectively,  I  do 
not  think  it  would  be  too  much  to  say  that  it  is  one  of  the  primary 
causes  of  the  production  of  the  gnats  in  such  destructive  numbers. 

My  own  observations  were  almost  wholl}'  confined  to  the  country 
lyiug  between  the  Arkansas  and  Red  Rivers  on  the  one  hand  and  be- 
tween the  Mississippi  and  Washita  on  the  other.  This  section  is  of 
difficult  access,  aud  I  have  relied  for  my  information  principally  upon 
civil  engineers  and  other  people  familiar  with  topography  of  the  coun- 
try, as  my  own  time  was  largely  occupied  in  studying  the  gnats  them- 
selves in  Tensas  Parish. 

With  the  exception  of  a  low,  wide  ridge  of  country  lying  between 
Boeuf  River  and  Bayou  Mason,  and  extending  from  Franklin  Parish  to 
Southern  Arkansas,  and  known  as  the  Bayou  Mason  Hills,  this  whole 
region  is  very  flat;  and  the  streams,  with  only  rain  and  sewage  water 
to  carry  off,  would  naturally  have  a  sluggish  current.  A  glance  over 
the  map  of  this  section  will  show  that  it  is  traversed  by  Bayous  Bar- 
tholomew and  Mason,  and  Rivers  Boeuf  and  Tensas,  the  last  two 
really  not  materially  differing  from  bayous. 

Three  of  these  will  be  observed  to  originate  in  extreme  Southeastern 
Arkansas,  and  running  south  southwest,  finally  unite  together,  and  form 
Black  River,  which  is  a  tributary  of  the  Washita. 


37 

Besides  these  mam  bayous  there  are  iunuiuerable  smaller  ones  which 
often  iutersecl  them  and  each  other,  bo  thai  if  one  of  i  be  main  Btreams 
becomes  suddenly  swollen,  the  water  escapes  from  ii  into  all  of  tlm 
others,  and  it'  continued,  affects  the  whole  internal  water  system. 

These  bayous  all  differ  from  the  rivers,  in  thai  the  descent  from  the 
top  of  the  bank  to  the  water  is  much  more  gradual,  and  this  Blope  is 
apt  t<>  be  more  <>r  less  overgrown  with  brush  and  bushes  r  i >  below  low- 
watermark.  Deuce,  it  will  be  Been  that  whatever  contributes  to  the 
volume  of  water  in  these  bayous  not  onlj  adds  rapiditj  to  the  current, 
but  brings  it  more  ami  nunc  in  contact  with  the  second  element,  viz, 
material  to  which  the  larva?  can  attach  themselves,  and  we  have  the 
.same  state  of  affairs  as  in  Mill  Bayou. 

In  Louisiana  there  is  hut  one  locality  where  water  from  the  Missis- 
sippi gets  through  the  bank  into  these  inland  bayous,  and  that  is  by 
way  of  Bayou  Vidal  and  .Mill  Bayou,  although  in  verj  high  water  it 
ni  ns  into  1  Ion  in  la  way  Bay  ou  a  couple  ol  miles  above  Bayou  Vidal  at  Din 
mond  Bend.  The  next  openingisat  Master's  Bend,  a  short  distance 
north  of  the  Arkansas  line,  and  the  water  coming  iu  through  it  enters 
both  Bayou  Mason  and  Tensas  River.  The  next  break  is  just  above 
Luna  Landing, and  is  known  as  \\'hisk\  Short  ;  another.  Panther  For- 
est, is  just  below  Gaines's  Landing.  Of  the  effect  of  these  last  two 
openings  extracts  from  a  letter  received  from  Mr.  Robert  B.Craig,  who 
resides  on  Point  Chicot,  iu  the  immediate  vicinity,  will  fully  explain : 

"If  yon  will  examine  your  map  yon  will  ti ml  Lake  Mason  lies  at  right 

angle  across  head  of  '  Tensas  Basin.'    The  recent   rise  in  the  riverwas 

high  enough  tO  run  into  Lake  Mason,  the  southern  hank  of  which  is 
high.  There  are  two  or  three  bayous  through  this  hank  which  let  the 
water  into  all  bayous  east  of  Bartholomew,  but  not  enough  water  to 
overflow  the  lower  banksof  any  one  of  them.      Lake    Chicot  also  tilled 

at  the  same  rise  in  the  river,  and  is  gradually  being  emptied  through 
the  Mason  ami  Boeuf."  M  r.  ( !raig  also  adds  :  ••  When  yon  u  ere  here,  bay- 
ous  were  all  receiving  Mississippi  Liver  water  through  Lake  Mason  and 
Lake  Chicot."'  Ii  was  during  "the  recent  rise"  to  which  Mr.  Craig  re- 
fers that  I  was  his  unest  at  Point  Chicot.  And  on  March  I'd.  the  day 
after  my  an  ival,  the  water  measured  27.8  fret  on  the  gauge  at  Memphis, 
and  38.2  feel  at  Vicksburg,  as  the  signal  officer  at  the  latter  city  in- 
formed me. 

It  will  be  proper  to  state  here  that  up  to  the  breaking  our  of  the  war, 
owing  to  the  perfect  levee  system,  water  was  prevented  from  escaping 
into  these  bayous.  During  the  war,  these  levees  were  destroyed  b.\  the 
caving  of  the  river  and  through  other  c  rases,  and  the  places  where  wa- 
ter now  escapes  from  tin1  Mississippi  Liver  and  runs  inland  are  breaks 
that  have  never  been  rebuilt. 

Ab  the  season  Of  high  water  usually  occurs  during  late  winter  and 
early  spring,  the  effect  of  this  influx  of  water  is  not  only  to  till  these  in- 
land bayous,  but  to  keep  them  fall  during  the  breeding  season  of  the 
gnats.    Hence  the  effects,  if  any  occur,  should  be  noticeable  iu  the 


38 

number  of  guats  and  the  amount  of  damage  done  by  them  in  the 
vicinity  of  the  streams  thus  influenced. 
They  appear  in  the  vicinity  of  Mill  Bayou  every  year  in  greater  or 

less  numbers,  and  I  have  twice  observed  them  being  carried  from  tbem 
to  Somerset  plantation  by  a  heavy  northwest  wind,  and  as  often  ob- 
served them  gradually  disappear  under  winds  blowing  equally  strong 
from  the  north,  northeast,  and  south. 

Strong  winds,  blowing  from  a  northwesterly  quarter,  bring  gnats  sud- 
denly and  in  great  numbers  to  the  neighborhood  of  Lake  Saint  Joseph, 
six  to  eight  miles  below  Somerset.  Judge  Gunby  states  that  they  appear 
at  Monroe  with  an  east  wind  ;  Mr.  Craig  observes  them  at  Point  Chicot 
with  a  west  or  southwest  wind,  and  at  the  time  they  appeared  iu  the 
city  of  Vicksburg  they  came  with  a  westerly  wind. 

Probably  the  worst  afflicted  parish  in  Louisiana  is  that  of  Franklin, 
which  is  situated  between  and  at  the  junction  of  Boenf  Kiver  and  Bayou 
Mason.  Judge  Gunby  aud  others  well  acquainted  with  the  country 
through  which  these  two  streams  flow  state  that  guats  appear  with 
more  regularity  and  in  greater  numbers  in  that  vicinity  than  elsewhere. 
Mr.  Craig  states  that  they  occur  to  some  extent  every  year  along  these 
streams  iu  Arkansas,  being  observed  the  most  numerous  the  present 
season  near  Bayou  Mason.  This  is  in  accordance  with  all  reliable  in- 
formation which  I  have  been  able  to  obtain,  and,  aside  from  the  country 
about  Mill  Bayou,  coincides  with  my  own  observations. 

Iu  connection  with  this  evidence  we  can  also  observe  that  these 
guats  are  yearly  being  produced  in  numbers  close  up  to  the  danger 
line,  only  an  overflow  being  required  to  furnish  the  conditions  suitable 
for  carrying  them  far  beyond.  Soon  after  these  investigations  began  I 
learned  that  the  Buffalo  Gnat  did  not  occur  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Bed  River.  Wishing  definite  information  on  this  point,  I  addressed  a 
letter  to  Judge  F.  H.  Fairer,  of  Bayou  Sara,  La.,  whose  reply  is  given 
herewith,  and  I  will  only  say  that  the  facts  embodied  therein  have  since 
been  corroborated  by  planters  whom  I  have  met  from  that  region  : 

Bayoi'  Saba,  La.,  March  9, 

Dear  Sir:  Yours  of  tbe  4th  instant  was  received  day  before  yesterday,  .Sunday. 
Court  being  in  session,  a  great  many  fanners  were  in  town,  aud  I  bad  plenty  of  old, 
experienced  men  to  apply  to  for  information  iu  regard  to  tbe  Buffalo-gnat. 

Mauy  bad  been  familiar  with  the  mischief  it  did  farther  north,  but  all  agreed  that, 
except  to  young  turkeys  and  other  poultry,  it  worked  little  or  no  barm  iu  this  region, 
either  in  low  or  high  lands.  A  few  indeed  asserted  that  the  one  here  was  a  different 
insect,  known  by  the  name  of  "turkey  gnat,"  but  the  large  majority  maintained  that 
it  was  the  same  humpbacked  individual  so  destructive  in  North  and  Northwest  Lou- 
isiana.    I  presume  that  it  never  appears  in  such  numbers  here  as  there. 

My  own  experience,  as  far  as  it  goes,  agrees  with  that  of  the  majority  with  whom  I 
spoke  on  the  subject,  viz,  that  the  genuine  Bnffalo-guat  is  to  be  seen   here   every 
spring  for  a  few  weeks,  but  is  by  uo  means  tbe  dangerous  pest  to  cattle,  horses,  &c, 
that  it  is  in  Northern  Louisiana. 
Respectfully,  yours,  &c, 

F.  H.  FARRAR. 

P.  M.  Webster,  Esq.,  Vicksburg,  Miss. 


In  summing  op  the  matter  we  find  that  so  long  as  thi->  influx  of  river 
water  was  prevented  no  damage  occurred  bj  reason  of  gnats,  even  in 
the  district  now  the  worst  infested,  and  we  also  find  thai  in  other  parts 
of  the  Bame  State,  where  this  influx  is  still  prevented,  no  trouble  is  ex- 
perienced* 

Hence  it  seems  but  reasonable  that,  it'  this  protection  was  restored, 
the  iron  I  »lc  would,  within  a  few  years  at  most,  subside  toits  former  state. 
This  time  would  be  materially  hastened  by  the  removal  ofuuderbrn 
&c,  which  would  come  in  contact  with  the  current  In  portions  of  these 
Inland  Btreams  where  il   runs  the  most  swiftly.    This  lasi   remedial 

measure  might  also  We  applied  to  bayOUS  affected  bj   high  water  of  the 

Bed,  Ya/.oo,  and  other  smaller  n\ei>. 

From  the  fact  that  the  gnat  breeds  during  the  season  when  the  water 

is  cool,  and  ceases  as  it  gets  warmer,  it  seems  not  impossible  that  the 
infusion  of  the  icy  current  of  those  rivers  flowing  from  the  north  into 
those  breeding  places  might  serve  to  prolong  the  breeding  season.    The 

truth  of  this  point  can  only  be  obtained  by  future  study. 

It  is  also  possible  that  a  more  extended  study  of  the  Buffalo-gnat  and 
the  entire  country  it  infests  might,  to  some  extent,  modify  the  conclu- 
sions arrived  at  in  this  report  ;  but  with  the  evidence  now  before  me 
they  appear  correct. 


THE  NATIVE  PLUMS- HOW  TO  FRUIT  THEM— THEY  ARE  PRACTI- 
CALLY CURCULIO  PROOF. 

By  1>.  B.  Win:,  Lacon,  111. 

During  the  past  forty  years,  in  the  vast  region  of  North  America  ly- 
ing west,  north,  and  south  of  Lake  Michigan,  and  the  west  line  of  the 
State  of  Indiana,  it  has  been  impossible  to  succeed  in  fruiting  the  tine, 
large,  delicious  Garden  1  Minus  [Prunus  domestica)  of  Western  Europe,  for 
the  reasons  that  the  trees  were  not  hardy  in  this  tierce  Western  climate. 
The  fruit  was  destroyed  by  the  Plnva  CaTCalio (Vonotrachelua netiuphi 
and  of  late  years,  if  not  so  destroyed, 4I  rotted."  particularly  south,  be- 
fore mat  hi  it JT. 

Long  and  persistent  trials  of  this  species  of  plum  in  the  West,  by  the 
most  -careful  and  expei  t  cultivators,  have  proven  that  it  is  folly  to  longer 

attempt  ;o  cultivate  the  old  ami  well  known  varieties  of  these  plums, 
for  in  the  northern  part  of  this  region  neither  the  trees  nor  then  roots 
will  withstand  the  severity  of  tin-  winters,  and  south,  if  we  protect  tin' 
fruit  from  Plum  Curculio,  it  seldom  escapes  total  annihilation  by  ••  n 
before  arriving  at  maturity,  and,  as  a  rule,  for  many  years  all  intelligent 
Cultivators  have  given  up  its  cultivation,  and  have  been  anxiously  S64  k 
ing  for  a  substitute,  and  have  repeatedly  selected   for   this  purpose  the. 

finer  varieties  of  our  two  timou  species  of 


40 


NATIVE   PLUMS. 

The  Chickasaw  Plain  (Prunus  chicMsa)  found  indigenous  from  North- 
em  Illinois  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  wild  yellow  or  red  plum 
(Prunus  americana)  found  indigenous  over  nearly  the  whole  continent. 
These  are  two  quite  distinct  races  (for  they  cannot  be  regarded  as  dis- 
tinct species)  of  the  subgenus  Prunus  of  the  Almond  family  (Amygdalea), 
order  Rosacea'.  And  a  typical  tree  of  either  so-called  species  is  very 
distinct  in  fruit,  foliage,  and  general  appearance  from  a  typical  tree  of 
the  other.  But  so  far  as  we  are  concerned  in  this  study  of  them  they  are 
practically  the  same,  except  that  the  fruitof  the  P.  americana,  or  North- 
ern type,  has  much  the  thicker,  tougher,  and  more  acerb  skin,  and  that 
some  of  the  Chickasaw,  or  Southern  type, do  not  provehardy  far  Noith. 
i.  e.,  some  of  the  named  varieties,  while  others  do,  and  the  same  would 
undoubtedly  prove  true  of  P.  americana.  But  as  this  last  is  found  grow- 
ing wild,  and  with  good  varieties,  at  least  as  far  north  as  the  northern 
limit  of  Dakota,  these  native  plums  are  a  fruit  in  some  of  their  varieties 
perfectly  adapted  to  every  part  of  the  United  States  and  ierritoriesaud 
pre-eminently  the  fruit  of  the  great  Northwest. 

Yet,  as  a  rule,  those  who  have  taken  these  wild  plums  from  their  na- 
tive thickets  and  planted  and  carefully  cultivated  them,  in  hope  of  find- 
ing at  least  a  poor  substitute  for  the  Garden  Plum,  have  met  with  a  com- 
plete, decisive  failure.  They  got  no  fruit.  We,  the  older  settlers  of 
the  West  (Illinois),  knew  the  wild  plums  as  the  most  plentiful  and  use- 
ful of  the  wild  fruits  when  the  country  was  first  settled  and  when  our 
"  tame  "  plums  failed  (for  it  is  a  fact  that  in  this  part  of  Illinois  as  early 
as  1845  we  fruited  many  varieties  of  the  Garden  Plum,  Nectarines, 
Peaches,  and  Apricots  in  abundance,  with  no  injury  from  the  Plum  Cur- 
culio,  or  "  rot").  We  began  to  hunt  out  and  plant  the  finer  varieties  of 
the  "  wild"  ones,  some  of  which  were  most  beautiful,  large  and  fine,  and 
of  very  good  quality.  But  after  years  of  patient  waiting  we  found  that 
these  gave  no  fruit  in  their  new  homes,  except  very  rarely.  We  found 
that  the  young  fruit  developed  to  the  size  of  a  little  pea,  or  a  little  larger, 
and  indeed  often  to  more  than  half  its  full  size,  and  then  all  fell  off. 

This  fallen  fruit,  if  examined,  showed  very  generally  the  ovipositing 
marks  of  the  Plum  Curculio,  made  when  laying  her  eggs. 

It  is  not  necessary  here  to  give  the  complete  natural  history  of  this 
insect,  because  all  the  more  important  facts  and  their  practical  bear- 
ings have  been  recorded  by  competent  writers,  and  especially  by  Walsh 
in  his  first  report  as  State  entomologist  of  Illinois,  and  by  Riley  in  his 
third  report  on  the  insects  of  Missouri;  but  it  will  be  sufficient  to  say  that 
it  is  a  small  insect  of  the  Curculio  (Curculionid.ce)  or  snout-beetle  family 
that  deposits  its  eggs  under  the  skin  of  the  young  fruit  of  all  the  smooth- 
skinned  species  of  the  Almoud  family,  or  nearly  all  of  them,  and  some 
other  fruits  as  well.    The  eggs  are  deposited  in  little  holes  eaten  through 


11 

and  nnder  the  skin  of  the  frail  by  the  mother  beetles,  and  no  Boon  as 
deposited  she  cuts  around  sod  uuder  the  egg,  leaving  a  crescent  or  new- 
moon  shaped  in. mK  on  the  fruit,  with  a  round  dot  [bole  where  the  egg 
was  laid)  between  the  two  horns  of  the  crescent.  In  the  Garden  Plums, 
Nectarines,  Peaches,  Apricots,  late  Cherries,  &c,  these  eggs  soon  batch 
and  bring  forth  white,  footless  grubs,  which  burrow  through  the  pulp 
of  the  fruit  and  live  and  mow  fal  on  its  Bubstance,  and  at  the  time 
when  the  fruit  should  mature,  instead  of  a  Que,  delicious  fruit,  one  finds, 
though  perhaps  quite  fair  without,  :i  mass  ol  rottenness  within,  with  a 
nasty  grub  wallowing  around  in  its  own  excrement,  and  the  rotten  pulp 
of  the  fruit,  thereby  completely  destroying  it  for  an.\  purpose  whatever 
as  a  fruit. 

Thai  the  numbers  of  this  pesl  have  grown  less  each  year  for  the  pasl 
ten  years,  and  more  especially  during  the  lasl  three  years,  is  the  evi- 
dence of  all  careful  observers.  This  grand  result  has  evidently  been 
brought  about  by  the  continuously-increasing  numbers  of  its  natural 
enemies,  in  the  form  of  other  insects,  &c,  and  it'  this  rate  of  decrease 
and  increase  keeps  on,  we  may  in  the  oear  future  be  bo  relieved  <>t'  t li i ^ 
pest  as  to  lit'  able  to  have  fair  crops  of  tin-  stone  fruits  without  nsing 
piv\  entive  measures. 

Bo  much  about  the  PlumCurculio  is  necessary  for  the  general  reader 
in  understanding  this  paper,  and  it  is  well  to  continually  bear  in  mind 
that,  until  a  ven  recent  date,  the  native  plums  were  considered  as  one 
of  the  fruits  totally  destroyed  by  the  Plum  Onrculio  by  "//,  unless  it 
was  ••  Onrculio  proof  Or  protected  from  the  parent  beetle.  But  this  be- 
lief was  not  and  IS  not  true,  tor  we  shall  liml  as  we  proceed  that  all.  or 
nearly  all,  of  the  native  plums  are  practically  cnrcnlio  proof.  Ami 
what  is  of  very  much  more  value,  we  will  timl  that  instead  of  breeding 
ami  multiplying  the  Plum  Curculio,  they  scarcely  breed  them  at  all, 
ami  that  it'  these  plums  are  planted  in  sufficient  quantity  they  will 
greatly  reduce  its  numbers  ami  protect  other  fruit  from  its  ravages. 

Then,  of  course,  when  we  found  nearly  every  fallen  fruit  marked  with 
the  peculiar  marks  made  by  the  Curculio  when   laying  her  eggs,  we  all 

of  as,  professors  of  entomology,  professors  of  horticulture,  fruit-growers, 

ami  ••  clod -hoppers"  at  once  jumped  to  the  conclusion  that  the  ••  Little 

Turk"  (so  called  from  her  ovipositing  mark  beingcrescent  shaped)  was 

the  cause  of  the  loss  c.\'  our  plums.  We  all  believed  this  to  be  true  ;  we 
looked  for  no  other  explanation;  we  had  no  data  on  which  to  base  a 
search  for  any  other  explanation,  so  we  sheathed  our  weapons  and  re- 
treated from  the  field  vanquished. 

In  the  mean  time  what  few  matured  plum  thickets  were  left,  the  few 
that  had  escaped  the  farmer's  grubbing  hoe,  continued  to  give  annually 
bountiful  crops  of  fruit,  the  Curculio  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding, 
and,  whether  stnng  or  not  by  that  insect,  matured  ami  ripened  their 
fruit. 

It  is  true  that  the  tree;'  in  these  wild  plum  patches  were  not  as   vig- 


42 

orous  and  healthy  as  they  were  when  we  gray-headed  chaps  were  boys, 
for  their  surroundings  had  been  changed,  greatly  changed.  Their  old 
companion  plants  were  nearly  all  gone;  new  plants,  usurpers,  had  taken 
their  places  and  their  environment  was  changed. 

These  new  plants  were  many  of  them  very  injurious  and  detrimental 
to  the  vigor  of  the  trees,  and  with  the  advent  of  man  had  come  his  herds; 
they  tramped  the  ground  down  hard  over  their  roots  j  they  laid  bare 
the  surface  of  the  soil  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun  by  eating  the  herb- 
age. Things  injurious  to  the  foliage  and  fruit  of  the  trees,  in  the  shape 
of  new  insects  and' new  diseases,  were  introduced,  but  with  all  of  this 
a  few  wild  plum  thickets  survived  and  matured  plums.  Why  these  did 
mature  fruit  under  these  adverse  circumstances,  and  why  the  selections 
we  made  of  a  few  fine  plums  from  perhaps  some  of  the  most  fruitful  of 
these  same  thickets  could  not  be  made  to  mature  a  plum  with  all  the 
care  and  petting  we  could  give  them,  when  planted  in  our  garden  or  or- 
chard, to  explain  this,  to  give  the  reasons  why,  and  to  show  how  easily 
all  can  have  this  valuable  and  delicious  fruit  in  abundance,  is  the  mo- 
tive of  preparing  this  paper  for  publication. 

And  now  I  will  begin  my  task.  I  was  born  here  (Marshall  County. 
Illinois)  in  1S34,  and  can  therefore  well  remember  the  country  as  it  was, 
and  the  wild  plums  as  they  were  before  the  Plum  Curculio  made  its 
first  destructive  showing  here  in  1845.  Then  we  hail  these  plums 
everywhere  ;  "  the  woods  were  full  of  them."  The  valleys  of  the  smaller 
streams  were  almost  one  continuous  and  unbroken  plum  thicket  from 
source  to  mouth.  The  edges  of  the  prairies  were  skirted  with  them. 
They  were  the  most  plentiful  and  useful  of  all  our  wild  fruits. 

As  a  boy  I  was  passionately  fond  of  fruit  of  all  kinds,  aud  the  lo 
cation  of  all  good  wild  fruits  that  I  could  find  was  stored  up  iu  my 
memory  for  future  use. 

Many  of  the  wild  plums,  as  I  remember  them,  growiugin  our  woods 
were  very  poor  iu  quality — many  good,  a  few  very  good,  and  a  still 
smaller  proportion  of  them  very  good  and  very  handsome. 

About  the  year  1841  I  found  growing  in  the  edge  of  a  plum  thicket  a 
beautiful  young  tree,  with  a  few  large  bright  golden  plums  on  it,  kissed 
by  the  sun  until  their  cheeks  blushed  crimson,  and,  when  ripe,  of  deli- 
cious, honeyed  perfumed  flavor,  large,  oblong,  and  most  beautiful.  The 
next  fall  it  was  fairly  loaded  with  its  glorious  fruit.  I  determined  to 
secure  this  prize  and  have  it  all  my  own.  I  took  it  up  very  carefully, 
transplanted  it  into  the  garden,  and  tended  it  with  the  greatest  care; 
it  grew  finely  in  its  new  home,  but  never  matured  a  fruit:  it  bloomed 
and  set  fruit  freely,  but  it  soon  all  fell  off,  but  they  were  not  stunt/  by 
the  Plum  Curculio  !  It  was  before  the  advent  in  great  numbers  of 
that  now  numerous  pest. 

I  next  tried  the  European  or  Garden  Plum  :  they  bloomed,  fruited, 
but  every  plum  was  destroyed  by  the  Plum  Curculio  before  maturing. 


43 

At  lasl  a«li\  ;iiiiiiiiin,  followed  bj  a  severe  winter,  cleaned  these  out, 

routs  mill  all. 

I  nc\t  beard  of  a  variety  of  the  Native  Plums  called  the  Miner;  beard 
a  great  mnas  of  testimony  as  to  its  being  thoroughly  hardy,  entirely 
"curculio  proof,"  and  yearlj  productive  of  good,  large,  salable  fruit. 
1  procured  500  trees  of  this  variety  and  planted  them  in  an  orchard,  the 
springof  1862,  ami,  with  the  exception  noted  farther  on,  these  trees  bave 
not  to  this  day  matured  one  peck  of  fruit.  Thisvariety  is  about  half 
way  between  or  a  hybrid  between  the  extreme  types  of  the  two  species 
first  mentioned.  1  nexl  learned ofthe celebrated  plum  of tbe Southern  or 
Chickasaw  type,  known  as  the  •>  Wild  Goose"  plum,  in  1807.  1  procured 
a  li'w  scions  of  it,  ami  top-grafted  them  in  the  center  of  the  Miner  or- 
chard. Fiveof  these  grafts  grew,  and  the  nexl  spring  the  grafts  bloomed 
freely  and  set  a  large  amount  of  fruit,  nearly  every  one  of  which  ma 
tuicd  fully.  Tbe  great,  bright  red  oblong  fruil  bung  ou  ropes  on  these 
grafts,  and  I  was  so  excited  over  them  that  I  nearly  went  plum  crazy. 
They  ripened  the  first  half  of  July  and  they  were  b napped  up  in  our 
little  town  at  25  cents  per  quart.  In  my  dreams  I  saw  -olden  visions  : 
a  fortune  from  plums  stared  me  in  the  \'<icK\  Thinkingall  was  righi  with 
this  plum,  bo  soon  as  l  could  obtain  trees  I  planted  800  of  them  in 
orchard.  They  grew  and  flourished  grandly,  bloomed,  and  they  Bel 
fruit  profusely,  but  it  all  fell  off  when  quite  small.  Moth  these  Miner 
and  Wild  (loose  orchards  were  planted  in  a  solid  ma>s,  no  other    trees 

of  the  almond  family  being  among  or  near  them, except  as  bereafter 

noted. 

I  have  said  the  grafts  Bel  in  .Miner  bore  profusely,  SO  did  the  trees  in 
which  they  were  grafted,  i.e.,  of  Miner  Plums,  as  did  the  trees  next  ad- 
joining, and  matured  their  fruit  perfectly.  These  plum  orchards  were 
both  a  continuation  of  a  large  orchard  of  hardy  cherries.  The  rows  of 
both  varieties  of  these  plums  next  to  the  cherries  have  4  very  year  urn  tun  </ 

more  or  leu  plume,  some  seasons  quite  a  crop.  With  these  except  ions,  no 
other  trees  iii  these  orchards  have  ever  brought  one  plum  to  maturity. 

These  two  orchards  were  some  distance  a  way  ami  so  were  no!  observed 
very  closely.  In  carrying  on  a  general  Nursery  [  gathered  here  many  va- 
rieties of  Native  Plums,  and  propagated  them  <piite  extensively  for  sale. 

Trees  ofthe  leading  varieties  on  their  own  roots  were  planted  isolated 
from  other  plums,  so  as  to  obtain  suckers.  The  varieties  SO  planted 
were  Wild  Goose,  Miner,  Forest  Garden,  DeSoto,  Weaver  (though  not 
to  be  true  to  name),  Langdon,  Newman,  and  many  others,  none  of 
which  have  as  yet  matured  a  plum  except  the  Newman.  About  the 
same  time,  or  sixteen  to  eighteen  years  ago,  I  planted  the  varieties 
named  above,  together  with  several  others,  thickly  in  rows,  the  rows 
four  feel  apart,  with  the  several  varieties  intermingled  or- -a  11  mixed  up." 
but  at  some  points  in  the  rows  all  of  one  variety  will;  no  other  quite 
near,  and  /  I  have  not  failed  of  bearing  and  maturing  a  full  crop 

each  year  during  the  last  twelve  years.     A.g  liu  soon  after  this  I  planted 


44 

iu  nursery  rows  for  budding  2,00.')  one-year-old  seedlings  of  the  Ameri- 
cana type,  from  seed  grown  in  Wisconsin.  These  were  planted  in  two 
blocks  and  were,  budded  over  once  with  the  varieties  last  named,  and 
some  others.  The  rows  were  four  feet  apart  and  the  seedlings  one  foot 
(or  less)  apart  in  the  rows.  But  a  small  percentage  of  the  buds  grew, 
t  lie  best  of  the  resulting  budded  trees  were  sold,  but  more  or  less  trees 
of  all  the  varieties  so  budded  were  left  among  the  seedlings  and  all  grew 
up  together  and  are  yet,  to-day,  to  be  seen  in  the  same  condition. 

Of  the  trees  planted  not  near  other  trees  of  the  Almond  family, 
numbering  some  hundreds,  not  one  of  them  ever  matured  a  fruit  during 
the  sixteen  years  they  have  been  old  enough  to  produce,  until  last 
season,  when  a  few  of  the  varieties  ripened  a  very  high  crop  of  fruit, 
the  Miner  being  second  only  to  the  Newman  in  point  of  productiveness. 

The  Newman  as  an  exception  to  the  other  varieties  has  given  a  fair 
crop  each  season  during  the  sixteen  years,  except  one,  when  it  failed 
entirely.  Ten  years  ago  I  was  ready  to  retire  beaten,  and  give  up  the 
whole  plum  and  plum-tree  business  in  disgust,  in  fact  the  whole  Al- 
mond family,  for  the  Plum  Curculio  seemed  determined  to  destroy  all  the 
cherries  also.  I  had  followed  every  hint  and  theory  that  I  had  ever 
heard  of.  1  carefully  examined  the  flowers  of  all  the  varieties,  and  found 
them,  sofar  as  I  could  see,  perfect  in  all  their  parts.  The  first  grafts  of 
the  Wild  Goose  iu  the  Miner  trees  continued  to  bear  each  year,  as  did 
the  trees  in  which  they  were  grafted.  The  isolated  trees,  scattered 
over  the  plantation,  were  vigorous,  healthy,  and  each  year  bloomed  pro- 
fusely and  set  fruit  freely,  but  it  all  fell  off  when  quite  small,  except  a 
very  small  proportion  of  that  on  the  Wdd  Goose;  some  of  the  fruit  of 
this  variety  wculd  attain  half,  two-thirds,  or  even  full  size,  ripen  pre- 
maturely and  then  fall  off.  But  in  all  such  instances  there  were  other 
trees  of  the  Almond  family  planted  not  far  away,  and  I  cau  safely  say 
that  during  the  twenty  years  or  more  that  I  have  had  this  variety  old 
enough  to  bear,  the  hundreds  of  trees  of  it  in  my  orchards  have  not 
matured  one  fruit  if  completely  isolated  from  other  trees  of  the  Almond 
family. 

One  day,  when  examining  the  fruit  of  this  variety  for  Curculio  young, 
I  was  surprised  not  to  And  a  live  grub  in  them  at  all,  and  at  that  time 
could  not  find  a  fruit  in  which  the  larvae  had  ever  fed.  And  I  was 
still  more  surprised  upon  cutting  through  the  shell  to  find  that  the  seed 
had  not  developed  and  was  imperfect.  Tais  fact  led  me  to  believe  that 
the  flowers  of  this  variety  were  not  perfect,  that  the  pollen  was  not 
good. 

Some  years  ago  I  received  from  its  disseminator,  ().  M.Lord,  of  Min- 
nesota City,  Minn.,  scions  (grafts)  of  a  fine  new  hardy  plum  found  in 
his  neighborhood,  named  the  "  Rolling  Stone.1'  Five  of  these  I  grafted 
into  a  tree  of  Wild  Goose  of  bearing  age  by  splice  grafting  on  the  ter- 
minal twigs  of  the  main  branches.  All  five  of  these  grafts  grew  ;  one 
of  them  gave  three  clusters  of  bloom  the  same  spring  it  was  grafted, 


and  matured  three  plums.     I  was  verj  greatly  surprised  this  same  -■ 
sou,  in  July,  to  find  near  this  graft,  and  in  the  same  tree,  about  twenty 
five  perfectlj  matured  Wild  Goose  plums,  all  verj  close  to  the  Rolling 
Stone  grafl  and  Done  anj  distance  from  it,  and  the  Wild  Goose  «li<l  aol 
ripen  prematurely  or  fall  off before  fully  developed.    The  three  plums 
matured  i>.\  the  grafl  ripening  about  a  mouth  later. 

Three  of  the  Boiling  Stone  grafts  grew  fluelj  the  flrei  summer  after 
grafting,  and  the  neztspring  bloomed  profusely.  The  tree  in  which 
they  were  grafted  grew  at  the  Boutb  end  of  a  row  of  the  Bame  variety 
(Wild  (iiM.se)  about  30  rods  long.  This  second  Beason  after  the  gratis 
were  inserted  the  tree  in  which  they  were  growing  matured  a  full  crop 
of  fruit  :  the  one  next  north  I  feet  from  it  was  full  of  fruit  on  its  south 
Bide)  the  fruit  was  scattering.  The  nexl  tree  10  feet  north  of  the  grafts 
matured  three  plums;  not  one  other  tree  in  the  row  out  of  perhaps  a 
hundred  matured  a  plum  that  season. 

The  extreme  cold  of  the  following  winter  destroyed  the  Wild  Goose 
below  the  malts,  and  the  following  spring  they  did  not  bloom.  Twenty 
feel  east  of  this  row  of  Wild  Goose  stood  a  row  of  cross-bred  seedlings. 
The  following  summer  (of  1885)  this  row  of  seedlings  bloomed  and 
fruited  enormously,  and  the  row  of  Wild  Goose  fruited  very  beavilyon 
the  east  Bide  of  the  trees,  with  scarcely  a  plum  on  the  west  Bide  of  the 
row. 

Ami  to  close  the  record  of  these  two  rows,  I  will  add  that  during  the 
Bpring  of  1886  1  made  a  record  of  the  time  of  blooming  of  all  the 
plum  trees  on  the  place,  ami  of  the  force  ami  direction  of  the  wind 
during  the  time  of  blooming,  and  find,  by  referring  to  that  record, 
that  a  gentle  east  wind  prevailed  tor  three  days  during  the  time  when 
the  row  of  native  plums  were  in  the  height  of  bloom,  and  the  row  of 
Wild  Goose  matured  an  enormous  crop  of  very  fine  fruit,  but  with  very 
much  more  fruit  on  the  east  than  on  the  west  Bide  the  row  of  seedlings 
furnishing  the  pollen  which  was  wafted  to  them  by  the  east  wind.) 

The  first  year  that  the  Rolling  Stone  grafts  bloomed  gave  me  the  long- 
hidden  secret  of  the  failure  in  productiveness  of  the  native  plum-, 
which  has  proved  itself  to  be  that  a  greal  majority,  or  nearly  all 
of  them,  are  not  fertile  with  their  own  pollen;  or,  in  other  words, 
from  sonic  not  as  yet  fully  explained  cause  or  causes  the  pollen  of,  say. 
the  Wild  (loose  or  .Miner  will  not  pollenize  the  ovaries  of  their  own 
flowers.  Why  it  will  not  docs  no;  become  material  ;  the  fact  remains. 
ne\  ertheless. 

After  a  pretty  thorough  Investigation  my  conclusion  as  to  the  reason 
is.  that  the  pollen  matures  and  is  flown  away  ami  wasted  before  the 
Stigmas  are  mature  enough  to  receive  it;  or,  it  may  be  true  that  the 
pollen  of  some  varieties  is  impotent  to  their  own  stigmas,  or  possibly 
oven  poisonous  to  them.  That  this  latter  condition  of  facts  may  exist 
has  been  fully  ami  satisfactorily  proven  by  the  most  carefully  conducted 
experiments  by  the  great  Darwin,  and  the  results  given  in  detail  in  bis 


4G 

''Plants  and  Animals  under  Domestication,"  and  the  same  theory  has 
to  SOU) e  extent  been  handled  in  works  by  other  eminent  scientists.  I 
found  that  the  Rolling  Stone  variety  would  pollenize  the  Wild  Goose  and 
lender  it  fruitful.  I  found  that  other  varieties  would  do  the.  same  when 
twenty  feet  away,  if  the  wind  blew  from  the  right  direction  when  they 
were  in  bloom.  I  found  that  in  every  instance  where  I  had  trees  of  the 
Miner  and  Wild  Goose  near  each  Other,  both  varieties  were  very  pro- 
ductive, and  also  that  when  the  Newman  and  Wild  Goose  were  near 
together  neither  was  fully  productive,  and  that  where  Miner  and  New- 
man were  contiguous  both  were  enormously  and  regularly  productive. 

I  also  found  that  where  I  had  Newman  growing  isolated  from  other 
varieties,  that  it  was  yearly  productive  of  moderate  crops  of  good  fruit, 
but  scarcely  a  seed  from  such  trees  would  grow  :  but  where  the  Newman 
and  Miner  were  planted  near  together  the  Newman  was  not  only  enor- 
mously productive,  but  the  fruit  was  larger,  later,  darker  colored,  and 
Thicker  skinned,  and  the  seed  all  good,  and  the  resulting  seedlings 
strong  and  vigorous,  the  Miner  being  also  very  productive  in  this  case. 

Further,  1  found  that  where  I  had  nearly  all  the  named  varieties  of 
both  types  of  these  plums  growing  together  in  the  two  blocks  of  seed- 
lings, that  all  of  them  (including  the  seedlings)  were,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Wild  Goose,  very  productive  each  year  since  old  enough  to 
bear.  Trees  of  the  Wild  Goose  were  growing  in  both  blocks  of  these 
seedlings,  but  none  of  them  have  ever  fruited  so  heavily  as  those  grow- 
ing near  Miner,  showing,  i  think,  that  the  Miner  is  its  best  consort.  The 
trees  in  these  two  blocks  of  seedlings  are  about  one  foot  apart  in  the 
row,  and  the  rows  four  feet  apart,  (trowing  in 'this  way  much  in  the 
same  manner  as  the  natural  plum  thickets  of  the  earlier  days  of  this 
country,  they  have  all  of  them  matured  a  full  crop  of  plums  each  year 
for  the  past  seven  years,  and  the  trees  have  remained  more  vigorous 
and  healthy  than  isolated  trees  of  the  same  varieties.  The  number  of 
varieties  in  these  two  blocks  may  be  safely  estimated  at  5,000,  running 
through  all  grades  of  the  northern  wild  plum,  from  the  poorest  to  the 
very  best.  During  the  whole  period  in  which  these  plums  have  beeu 
fruiting,  nothing  whatever  has  been  done  to  protect  the  fruit  from  or 
to  destroy  the  Plum  Curculio,  and  this  insect  has  been  present  in  large 
numbers  during  the  whole  time.  No  hogs  or  other  stock  have  beeu 
allowed  to  run  among  the  trees,  and,  until  the  last  three  seasous,  all  the 
"  wormy  "  fruit  has  rotted  on  the  ground,  undisturbed. 

The  history  of  these  plum  trees  tells  my  readers  exactly  how  to  fruit 
the  native  plums  everywhere  in  abundance.  Heretofore  when  writing 
on  this  subject  1  have  qualified  the  above  by  saying  how  they  will 
fruit  here  abundantly.  Put  during  the  past  two  years  1  have  cor- 
responded with  the  owners  of  or  visited  a  great  number  of  plum  or- 
chards throughout  nearly  the  whole  country  and  find  the  same  results 
everywhere,  namely,  wherever  these  plums  have  been  planted  with 
several  varities  near  together  (or  near  trees  of  several  other  species  of 


17 

the  almoud  family)  the;  have  been  constantly  productive,  but  when 
planted  with  the  varieties  isolated  they  have  proven  barren,  except  in 
the  South. 

While  the  Wild  Goose  will  pollenize  its  own  stigmas  south  of  the  Ohio 
River,  and  will  not  north,  may  seem  a  little  strauge.  But  this  fact  is 
easily  explained.  Here,  or  North,  fruit  trees  burst  Buddeulj  into  bloom, 
and  in  three  or  four  days  the  sexual  organs  ol  the  flowers  have  matured, 
performed  their  functions,  and  lost  their  sexual  force.  South,  the  peach 
is  often  in  continuous  bloom  for  four  months,  the  plum  for  two  months, 
and  therefore  there  is  a  continuous  supply  of  ripe  pollen  and  ripe  (stig 
matic)  stigmas  to  receive  it.  Here  the  Wild  t  loose  plum,  fer  instance, 
opens  its  flowers  one  day,  ripens  and  sheds  most  <>f  its  pollen  the  fore- 
noon of  the  next  daj  (the  pollen  of  the  plum,  which  is  tin-  male  element 
of  their  sexuality,  consists  of  very  minute  roundish,  egg-like  cells,  very 
li^lit  and  produced  in  great  abundance,  and  may  be  carried  i>.\  the  w ind 
for  miles  under  favorable  circumstances  and  their  potency  remain  un- 
impaired), and  not  until  the  afternoon  <>f  this  day  do  the  stigmas  take 
on  the  sexual  heat  and  become  readj  to  receh  e  it.    These  and  the  other 

fully  established  tacts,  that  to  many  varieties  and  species  of  plants  t  heir 
own  pollen  is  neither  acceptable  nor  fertile  to  then-  own  flowers — stig- 
mas— and  to  the  more  common  fact  that  in  many  plants  a  flower  is 
not  fertile  with  pollen  of  that  flower,  but  billy  fertile  with  pollen  from 
another:  why  we  have  failed  to  get  frail  from  nian\  varieties  of  Na- 
tive Plums  when  not  growing  near  other  Plum  trees  (or  other  trees  id' 
the  Almond  family),  and  why  these  same  varieties  are  very  productive 
when  planted  near  others:  the  reason  for  this  seems  to  be  that  nat- 
ure abhors  "in  and  in  breeding," or,  in  other  words,  she  has  carefully 
guarded  nearly  all  forms  of  lite  from  unnatural  unions  or  a  too  close 
consanguinity  of  offspring. 

lint  in  our  Almond  family  the  different  species  seem  freely  to  fertil- 
ize each  other  sexually  in  many  instances,  ami  the  resulting  hybrids 
are,  so  far  as  observed,  fully  fertile  with  all.     For,  as  before  intimated,  I 

have  absolute  ami  incontestable  proof  thai  the  flowers  of  the  Wild  Goose 

and  Miner  plums  are  fertilized  to  a  limited  extent  by  the  pollen  of  our 
cherries,  which  beloug  to  a  different  jrenus  of  the  same  order.  Also, 
the  proof  is  absolute  that  the  pollen  of  the  peach  freely  fertilizes  the 
flowers  of  the  Chickasaw  plums,  at  least  some  of  them.  The  new  early 
peaches,  such  as  Hale's  Early,  A.msden's  June,  Alexander,  &c,  are 
such  hybrids  nearest  the  peach  in  their  generalities;  and  the  Black- 
man,  Golden  Beauty,  and  other  so-called  plums  are  such  hybrids  more 
nearly  resembling  the  plums. 

The  plums  of  Europe  freely  fertilize  our  native  plums,  and  m< 
So  far  there  is  no  proof  that  the  sub  genus,  Padus,  to  which   our  wild 
cherries  belong,  is  sexually  fertile  with  other  members  of  the  sub  order, 
but  it  is  very  probable  that  it  is  not. 

Wja  have  now.  if  we  have  read  nnderstandingly,  learned  how  we  may 


48 

FRUIT   THE   NATIVE   PLUMS 

everywhere  in  abundance.  How  ?  Simply  by  planting  several  va- 
rieties near  together  or  commingled,  or  by  grafting  or  budding  barren 
trees  with  one  or  more  different  varieties  as  above  explained.  Plant- 
ing the  different  varieties  near  together  is  most  practical,  and  easily 
done  by  selecting  such  two  (or  more)  varieties  as  will  pollenize  each 
other,  and  planting  them  alternately  in  rows  4  to  0  feet  apart,  the  rows 
running  in  the  direction  of  the  prevailing  winds  at  the  blooming  time 
of  the  plum.  If  we  do  not  know  what  varieties  will  pollenize  each  other, 
we  will  be  safe  if  we  plant  several  varieties  in  close  proximity,  so  as  to 
have  the  so-called  species  alternate  in  the  rows.  The  rows  may  be  15 
to  30  feet  apart. 

We  now  take  up  the 

plum  curculio  (Conotrachelus  nenuphar) 

understanding^.  But  why  need  I  add  one  more  word  about  it,  for  the 
proof  is  absolute  here,  audi  have  the  same  complete  proof  from  nearly 
every  State  and  Territory,  that  it  has  no  effect  on  the  fruiting  of  the 
great  majority  of  our  native  plums  whatever.  If  their  flowers  are 
pollenized  they  give  regular  crops  of  valuable  fruit  as  any  fruit  in  any 
climate,  with  no  material  damage  to  the  fruit,  except  rarely  to  a  few 
varieties,  by  this  pest.  Iu  fact,  I  will  here  put  it  on  record:  I  believe 
that  after  carefully  investigating  the  subject  throughout  three  seasons, 
that  what  effect  this  curculio  has  on  these  fruits  tends  to  benefit  the 
tree  and  fruit  rather  than  injure,  for,  where  these  plums  are  fully  pollen- 
ized their  tendency  is  to  overbear — to  set  more  fruit  than  they  can  or 
should  bring  to  maturitj'.  The  most  material  injury  to  this  fruit  by  the 
curculio  is  that  the  cuts  through  the  skin  of  the  youug  fruit,  made  by 
her  when  laying  her  eggs,  sometimes  forms  a  nidus  (breeding  place)  for 
"fruit-rot."  The  varieties  will  be  affected  by  this  very  differently  iu 
different  locations  and  climates,  but  this  rot  does  not,  as  is  the  case 
with  some  other  fruits,  so  far  as  is  known  prevent  our  securing  full 
crops  of  some  varieties  everywhere.  (Curiously  the  evidence  is  that  P. 
chickasa  is  more  subject  to  rot  South  than  P.  americana,  and  vice  versa. 
But  my  observations  here  prove  that  this  "  fruit  rot"  iu  the  native 
plums  more  ofteu  finds  a  nidus  or  origin  in  the  minute  punctures  of  leaf 
lice  (Aphididce)  and  plant  bug"  (Ilcmiptcra).  The  most  injurious  of  the 
bugs  to  the  fruit  of  our  native  plums,  and  perhaps  the  most  injurious  in- 
sect of  Xorth  America,  is  the  now  notorious  tarnished  plant  bug  (Cap.sus 
oblincatus,  Say.).  This  pernicious  bug  is  abundant  nearly  everywhere, 
is  an  omnivorous  feeder,  and  not  only  depletes  trees  and  plants  of  their 
juices,  but  the  puncture  of  its  beak  is  very  poisonous  to  them,  causing 
many  young  fruits  to  drop  soon  after  being  punctured,  on  others  leav- 
ing wounds  for  the  entrance  of  the  spores  of  the  sporadic  diseases  or 
"rots."    Therefore  it  will  not  do  to  give  the  plum  curculio  credit  as  the 


I!' 

destroyer  of  all  frail  thai  falls  before  maturity ;  and,  farther,  it  is  a  fact 
th. 1 1  the  injur j  to  the  young  Droit  by  this  ourcalio  when  laying  her  ej 
docs  not  cause  suoh  fruit  to  t'.iil  while  small,  bat  the  contrary  hi  true, 
Therefore,  when  we  find  all  our  youug  plums  mi  the  ground  early  in 
June,  notice  if  everj  one  of  them  shows  the  ovipositing  mail,  of  the 
Little  Turk.  She  or  her  work  was  not  the  cause  of  their  fall,  lint  cur 
them  open  and  you  will  invariably  find  tin'  Beed  embryo  dead,  or  the 
lice  or  bags  before  mentioned  had  caused  their  *  I « - .  1 1 1 1 . 

Then  it  remains  to  give  a  short  sum  man  of  the  facts  gathered,  show- 
ing the  true  status  of  the  Plum  Carculio  in  regard  to  fruit  growing 
generally  and  the  Native  Plums  especially. 

The  first  and  most  important  is  that  all  evidence  shows  that  this  in- 
Reeks  the  Native  I 'I  ums  iu  preference  to  all  other  fruits  in  which  to 
deposit  her  eggs.  This  is  u  queer, a  strange  fact  in  biology,  which  nat- 
uralists will  he  inclined  to  dispute,  namely,  that  an  insect  should  seek 
and  use,  Beemingly  by  preference,  a  fruit  in  which  to  lav  her  eg 
wherein  but  vers  few  of  them  will  hatch  and  in  which  hut  few  of  suck 
larva-  as  do  hatch  c  m  be  nourished  on  its  substance  to  maturity. 

The  reason  why  the  Plum  Curculio  does  Beet  the  Native  IMuins  to 
oviposit  in  seems  to  be  be. must  of  their  very  early  ami  very  fragrant 
bloom.  This  beetle,  unlike  some  others,  is  a  ravenous  feeder  while  in 
the  imago  or  beetle  state,  and  flies  toward  the  nearesl  inviting  food. 
With  what  result,  now  becomes  the  important  question.  I  have  shown 
that  the  depositing  of  the  eggs  <>f  the  Curculio  iii  the  yonug  fruit  d 
not  cause  it  to  tall  before  reaching  maturity ;  that  it  does  not  materially 
injure  the  fruit,  for  I  have  marketed  a  Miner  plum  on  which  were  eight- 
een Of  the  ovipositing  marks  of  this   beetle,  ami  yet  it  was  a  passable 

plum  for  use  (eating or  canning  .     But  the  facts  are  best  given  in  figures 
and  percenta . 

During  the  past  two  seasons  I  have  gone  over  the  great  mass  of  native 
plums  in  bearing  here  twice  during  each  season,  or  four  times  syste- 
matically, and  very  carefully,  with  practically  the  same  results  each 
time,  and  1  will  here  give  my  results  iu  figures. 

I  found  that  for  every  egg  that  hatched  ami  the  larv.e  h  id  \\-i\  notice- 
ably, that  there  were  from  L,500  to  1,900  ovipositing  marks  of  tin-  <  'ui  - 
enlio,  and  that  only  one  living  curculio  maggot  wis  found  in  3,100  to 
3,500  plnms  examined  ami  in  which  her  eggs  hail  been  laid.  These 
percentages  are  from  the  June  observations  of  these  two  years  and 
coincide  with  previous  observations.  In  the  two  observations  made 
daring  the  latter  part  of  duly  and  first  of  August  the  percentages  were 
not  materially  changed  or  different.  Another  studv  was  made  to  find 
out  how  many  larv.e  that  had  hatched  had  fed  to  well  advanced  matu- 
rity as  larv.e.  To  uret  at  this  I  selected  the  fruit  of  the  Wild  (loose  and 
Newman,  in  which  I  had  found  more  living  larva-  than  in  any  other 
variety  here  [as yet  I  have  not  found  any  living  larv.e  of  considerable 
size  iu  the  Miner,  but  strangely  1  found  more  living,  well  fed,  healthy 
!>:_>;;  10—  So.  n 4 


50 

looking  larvae  in  P.  amcricana  in  the  woods,  to  the  number  of  plums 
stung  than  I  have  in  any  other  plum,  a  not  very  careful  survey  of  this 
tree  showed  that  about  one  in  twenty-five  of  the  eggs  laid  in  the  fruit 
has  produced  well-grown,  healthy  looking  larvae).  I  selected  first  100 
plums  of  the  Wild  Goose  variety,  in  which  eggs  had  seemingly  been 
laid.  (I  am  well  aware  that  in  many  species  of  iusect  life  the  females 
will  continue  to  form  proper  nidi  for  the  reception  of  her  eggs  long 
after  her  supply  of  eggs  has  become  completely  exhausted;  in  fact, 
as  a  rule  the  ''grim  messenger"  finds  her  busily  at  work,  with  feeble 
effort,  trying  to  lay  eggs  and  reproduce  her  kind,  and  it  is  quite  proba- 
ble that  our  "Little  Turk"  possesses  this  instinct,  which  continues  to 
its  fatal  termination.  Therefore  my  percentages  are  not  so  correct  as 
if  I  had  been  able  in  each  instance  to  locate  an  egg,  in  situ  within  the 
ovipositing  mark.)  At  least  the  ovipositing  mark  was  apparent  on 
each  fruit.  These  were  i)laced  in  a  vessel,  and  taken  out  one  at  a 
time  and  cut  under  the  ovipositing  mark  to  ascertain  if  the  larvae 
had  fed.  If  it  had  not  fed  noticeably,  it  was  thrown  aside  and  another 
taken  up,  and  so  on  until  I  had  obtained  a  hundred  plums  in  which 
the  egg  had  hatched  and  the  larvae  had  fed.  Two  trials  of  Wild  Goose 
plums,  in  this  way,  gave  respectively  22  and  23  living,  sickly  look- 
ing, attenuated  larvae.  Two  trials  of  the  same  number  of  Newman  gave 
respectively  24  and  26  of  the  same  kind  of  grubs.  Whether  any  one 
of  these  sickly  looking  larvae  would  have  matured  into  beetles  I  do 
not  know,  but  I  have  the  best  of  reasons  for  believing  that  none  of 
them  would.  And  here  are  my  reasons,  and  they  are  of  the  greatest 
value,  if  I  have  made  no  mistakes.  The  autumns  of  1884  and  1885  I 
gathered  the  fallen  fruit  from  all  the  trees  for  seed,  and  of  course  in  this 
way  I  got  all  the  fruit  with  living  larvae  in  them,  and  wheu  selecting 
what  good  fruit  there  was  for  market,  all  wormy  and  imperfect  fruit 
was  thrown  on  the  surface  of  the  ground  in  the  shade  of  trees,  day  by 
day  as  gathered,  and  on  and  convenient  thereto  were  placed  several 
contrivances,  such  as  the  young  beetles  are  known  to  seek  as  soon  as 
they  emerge  from  the  ground  for  shelter.  These  shelters  were  care- 
fully examined  until  cold  weather  without  finding  a  single  beetle. 

The  next  spring  this  seed  was  gathered  up  early  and  planted.  A  good 
portion  of  the  ground  it  had  occupied  was  at  once  covered  with  strong 
canvas,  with  its  edges  so  covered  and  fastened  down  that  it  was  im- 
probable that  the  beetles  could  escape  from  under  it.*  Now,  if  this  80 
bushels  of  plums  selected  from  the  204  bushels  marketed  on  one  season, 
and  of  course  including  practically  all  the  wormy  plums,  brednoCurcu- 
lios,and  it  takes  3,200  eggs  to  produce  one  well-matured  larva,  and  if  we 
give  it  all  the  Native  Plums  it  may  require  in  which  to  lay  all  of  its  eggs, 

*  This  experiment  was  very  poorly  conducted  and  proves  nothing.  If  the  plums  re- 
ferred to  were  wormy,  it  is  safe  to  say  that  at  least  a  portion  of  the  larvae  were  in 
healthy  condition  an  I  went i  through  thoir  transformations  under    ground.     Wo  have 


.-,1 

this  is  the  pertinent  question:  Does  it  nol  seem  conclusively  to  show 
thai  when  tins  gre  tl  western  region,  the  timbered  portion  of  it,  was,  we 
iikiv  say,  one  \  asl  Plum  thicket,  tbal  there  were  then  plnms  enongfa  to 
bold  the  Plum  Onronlio  entirely  in  check  I  Ami,  further,  does  n  not 
also  show  conclusively  that  if  we  now  plan)  asnfflcieutnnmberofthese 
plum  trees  to  produce  fruit  for  the  beetles  to  feed  on  and  lay  all  of 
their  eggs  in,  and  sucb  eggs  do  nol  batch,  as  we  have  seen,  thai  tlm.\, 
the  plums,  will  again  reduce  its  numbers  below  the  point  of  practical 
injury,  and  in  this  way  protect  nil  our  other  fruit  from  its  depreda- 
tions 1  Again,  do  not  our  facts- show,  that  if  it  is  true  that  the  Plum 
Curoulio  is  attracted  by  these  plums  early  in  the  season,  and  being 
there  on  the  plums  she  will  therefore  laj  ber  eggs  in  them  exclusively  , 
and  that  by  planting  these  plums  unstintedly  among  and  around  our 
Peaches,  Apples,  <  Sherries,  and  other  fruits  liable  to  injury  l»\  her,  thai 
we  will  protect  these  fruits  from  damage  by  this  beetle  1 

We  have  but  one  question  Of  importance  to  answer,  which  is,  Are  the 
Native  Plums  a  fruit  worthy  of  extended  cultivation.'  I  cm  answer 
this  (p  test  ion  emphatically,  Yi's,  they  are.  They  are  one  of  the  tnOSt  cer- 
tain of  the  fruits  in  the  regularity  of  their  crop,  and  the  yield  is  usually 
abundant,  the  fruit  wholesome,  attractive,  and  easilj  gathered,  and  can 
be  shipped  any  reasonable  distance  to  market.  When  thoroughly  ripe 
it  is  delicious,  eaten  in  a  natural  state — thai  is.  some  varieties  of  it: 
others  are  among  the  finest  of  fruits  for  preparing  in  the  various  ways 
known  to  the  culinary  art — Btewing,  canning,  drying,  preserving  in 
sugar,  sweet  pickling  (spieing),  vVc.  And  many  of  the  varieties  of  the 
Northern  tj  pe  will  keep  perfectly  throughout  the  winter  if  simply  placed 
in  an  open  earthen   jar  and  covered  with  water.     They  all   make  most 


had  aome  experience  with  the  larae  of  this  insect,  bal  -ln>nl«l  scarcely  venture  to  dis- 
criminate between  sickly  and  healthy  individuals  u  Mr.  Wiei  has  done.  I  he  pre- 
cautions taken  to  observe  and  connl  the  1 ties  emerging  from  the  ground  were  en- 
tirely insufficient  for  the  purpose,  as  the  tendency  to  secrete  under  traps  is  mani- 
fested chiefly  in  cool  weather  in  spring. 

Moreover,  Mr.  Wier'a  statements  that  the  planting  ami  cultivating  of  tin-  Wild  Plum 
will  protect  onr  peaches,  apricots,  cultivated  plums,  dec  ,  ami  effect  a  decrease  in  the 
numbers  of  the  Curoulio,  arc  mere  assumptions  ami  contrary  to  experience.  The  l'.iit 
that  these  cultivated  fruits  were  badly  in  tested  by  the  Curoulio  as  soon  .is  they  were 
introduced  is  a  sufficient  proof  that  the  Curoolio  shows  a  decided  preference  tor 
these  plants.  While  we  would  m>t  discredit  the  correctness  of  Mr.  Wier's  observa- 
tion that  a  large  proportion  of  Curoulio  eggs  laid  in  Wild  Plnms  fail  to  hatch  (be- 
cause they  often  thus  fail  in  cultivated  vai  I  in  cherries,  pears,  ami  app 
yet  we  do  not  believe  this  (act  his  much  influence  on  the  general  de<  rease  "ft  he  Cur- 
oulio.  The  Wild  Plums  were  the  original  food-plant  of  the  insect  and  it  l 
isted  as  a  species  "  on  this  plant  from  time  immemorial.  The  cultivation  of  peaches, 
apricots,  diet:  -  imply  furnished  the  means  for  it  to  increase,  and  only  the  com- 
plete abandonment  of  Iheir  cultivation  would  re-establish  the  original  relative  scar- 
city of  the  Curoulio.  The  state  of  affairs  would  he  quite  different  if  Mr.  Wier  could 
show  us  how  to  compel  the  insect  to  oviposit  in  the  fruit  of  the  Wild  Plum, or  could 
even  prove  by  satisfactory  scientific  evidence  the  truth  of  his  assertion  that  it  has  a 
preference  for  said  wild  fruit.  — ('.  V.  R. 


52 

beautiful  and  delicious  jellies.  Such  are  the  principal  uses  of  the  fruit. 
The  trees  will  thrive  on  any  soil  that  will  support  common  trees,  but  do 
best  on  a  deep,  rich,  moist  soil ;  they  thrive  finely  in  the  bottoms  of  deep, 
steep,  narrow  ravines  and  alongdrains,  on  lands  too  rough  for  cultivation, 
if  reasonably  rich.  The  trees  are  natural  to  crowded  situations,  crowded 
by  cacli  other,  and  by  other  trees  ;  their  roots  do  best  rambling  through 
moist  soil,  shaded  from  the  sun,  and  the  trees  do  very  much  the  best  in 
a  location  sheltered  from  the  strong  winds  of  spring  (which  blow  away 
the  pollen).  The  trees  are  easily  propagated ;  they  throw  up  young 
trees  (suckers)  freely  from  their  roots;  therefore  when  planting  these 
plums  on  the  thicket  plan  in  waste  places  it  is  best  to  have  them  on 
their  own  roots.  Or,  if  we  do  not  wish  them  to  produce  suckers,  they 
may  be  budded  on  the  Chickasaw  variety  kuown  as  Mariana,  which 
variety  grows  freely  from  cuttings,  is  quite  hardy,  and  seldom,  if  ever, 
throws  up  suckers  from  its  roots.  In  the  South  these  plums  do  finely 
when  budded  or  grafted  on  peach  (which  do  not  sucker),  but  care  must 
be  taken  to  prevent  injury  from  the  Peach  Borer  (JSgeria  exitiosa  Say). 
North  they  do  nicely  if  "  root-grafted"  on  peach.  Generally,  as  the  reader 
will  have  learned  from  this  paper,  the  Native  Plums  have  no  very  nox- 
ious insect  enemies  or  diseases  here  or  over  the  country  at  large,  and  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  they  in  some  of  their  varieties  or  tribes  can  be  grown 
profitably  in  every  part  of  the  country.  There  is  a  vast  amount  to  be 
learned  about  them  as  yet,  and  some  very  important  facts  to  determine. 
The  most  valuable  one  is  this :  I  have  some  proof  that  certain  varieties 
of  these  plums  will  breed  the  Plum  Curculio  freely';  if  so,  such  varieties 
should  be  searched  out  and  destroyed,  and  we  should  be  sure  not  to 
plant  these  varieties  for  fruit,  be  that  ever  so  fine. 


THE  SERRELL  AUTOMATIC  SILK  REEL. 
By  Fiiilip  Walker. 

In  previous  reports  the  new  Serrell  automatic  silk  reel  has  been  fre- 
quently mentioned,  but  owing  to  the  incomplete  condition  of  the  pat- 
ents upon  it,  it  has  been  considered  unwise  to  publish  even  such  a  gen- 
eral description  as  that  which  follows.  Now,  however,  that  these  ma- 
chines are  in  operation  in  Washington,  it  is  possible  to  gratify  the 
laudable  curiosity  of  persons  interested  in  this  machinery,  of  which  so 
much  has  been  said  but  so  little  known  in  this  country. 

An  understanding  of  the  mechanical  principles  of  ordinary  nou  auto- 
matic reels  and  of  the  Serrell  serigraph  are  so  necessary  to  a  thorough 
comprehension  of  the  automatic  reel  that,  although  they  have  already 
been  described  by  Professor  Riley  in  Bulletin  No.  9  of  the  Division.* 
it  is  deemed  wise  to  insert  au  account  of  them  here.    The  quotations 

-  The  Mulberry  Silk-Worm,  by  C.  V.  Riley,  M.  A.,  Ph.  D.,  Washington,  1686. 


which  follow  are  from  thai  pamphlet.  A  further  word  on  some  of  the 
properties  of  the  o  >o  i  m  filam  snt  and  tin-  general  process  of  reeling  i- 
;ils.)  given  in  order  to  m  ike  tin-  descriptions  which  follow  more  intelli- 
gible. 

'i'lic  silk  worm  oooupies,  in  general,  about  thirty  days  in  passing  through 

tlic  period  o prised  between  its  birth  aud  the  fabricatiou  of  its  cocoon. ' 

tfosl  of  this  time  is  employed  in  eating,  but  aboul  five  days  being  con- 
sumed in  passing  through  the  molts.  The  foo  I  consumed  during  the 
Last   teu  days  is  almost  entirely  employed  in  the  formation  of  a  fluid 

which  fills  tin-  silk  ducts  ami  «  hicli  goes  ultimately  t'>  tin-  fabricate f 

tin'  Bilken  thread  of  the  cocoon. 

In  tlic  hoi  is  of  t  he  larvfe  t  hr  re  an-  t  wo  of  these  1 1  arts,  c.i  eh  of  which 
Is  connected  with  an  orifice  called  a  spinneret,  which  is  situated  in  the 
lower  lip  of  the  insect.  Tin-  larva  in  the  formatiou  of  its  cocoon  throws 
out  from  these  orifices  two  fine  filaments  covered  with  a  natural  glue. 
This  glue  Berves  to  stick  tin-  two  filaments  together  ami  to  form  them 
into  what  appears  to  the  naked  eye  to  he  one  compact  thread.  An  ex- 
amination of  this  thread  nnder  the  microscope,  however,  shows  its 
double  nature  and  its  flattened  section,  whose  width  is  three  to  four 
times  its  thickness. 

The  first  step  taken  by  the  worm,  after  it  has  found  a  con  venient 
place  to  make  its  cocoon,  is  to  throw  out  a  system  of  threads  designed 
to  form  a  founds  ion  to  the  morecompacl  pod.  The  tissue  of  this  sys- 
tem is  loose  and  is  not  apparently  woven  after  any  lived  plan.  Once 
this  foundation  completed,  the  larva  begins  the  construction  of  the 
stronger  wall  of  its  resting  place,  which  is  constructed  of  a  Arm  felting 
laid  on  in  flgUre-eight  loops  and  in  many  distinct  layers.  Of  these 
layers  it  is  easy  to  recognize  al  least  ft  dozen  and  to  tear  them  apart 

but  it  is  probable  that  in  reality  these  might  each  be  subdivided  into 
many  more  but  for  the  lack  of  instruments  of  sufficient  delicacy. 

Taking  the  yellow  Milanese  races  as  a  type,  we  find  that  it  requires 
about  250  fresh  c  >  •  >  )iis  to  m  ike  a  p  mad  ami  that  each  contains  about 
one  thousand  J  aids  of  thread.  These  COCOOnS,  with  the  inclosed  chrys- 
alides, contain,  however.  66  per  centum  of  water,  which  in  the  course  of 
three  or  four  mouths' drying   will  effectually  evaporate.     Of  the   total 

weight  of  these  cocoons,  again,  but  about  L5  per  centum  is  fori I  of 

silk,  the  balance  being  composed  of  chrysalides  and  the  skins  c.is-  by 
the  larva-  in  their  transformation.  Thus,  were  we  to  recover  all  of  the 
silk  contained  in  a  lot  of  cocoons,  it  would  not  exceed  1")  per  centum  of 
the  total  weight  when  fresh,  or  33  per  centum  of  the  weight  when  dry. 
It  is  not,  however,  possible  to  accomplish  Such  a  result,  both  on  account 
of  the  loss  caused  in  getting  hold  Ol  the  end  of  the  thread  and  from  tin- 
fact  that  it  is  impossible  to  finish  the  reeling  of  a  co  -o  >n  to  its  very  cud. 
Manufacturers  rarely  obtain  more  than  one  pound  of  silk  for  each  three 
and  oae-li  ilf  p  > an  Is  of  dry  000  >ous  employe  I.  aul    it  is  not  uncommon 


54 


for  them  to  consume  at  least  four  pounds  of  raw  material  in  the  forma- 
tion of  each  pound  of  their  product. 

Before  reeling  the  cocoons  must  be  cleaned  by  the  removal  of  the 
outer  system  of  threads  which,  under  the  name  of  floss,  is  one  of  the 
waste  products  of  the  industry. 

In  the  filature  the  "cocoons  are  first  plunged  into  boiling  water, 
whereby  their  gluten  is  softened  in  such  a  manner  as  to  render  the  un- 
winding of  the  filaments  an  easy  matter.  Tin's  done,  they  are  brushed 
with  a  small  broom,  to  the  straws  of  which  their  fibers  become  attached. 
The  bundle  of  filaments  is  then  taken  and  they  are  unwound  until  each 
cocoon  hangs  by  but  one  clean  thread.  These  three  operations  are 
called  'cooking,'  'brushing,',  and  'purging.'  The  first  two  can  be  ac- 
complished mechanically,  and  are  currently  so  performed  iu  Italy  and 
largely  in  France.  But  purging  is  a  process  to  which  the  accuracy  of 
the  human  eye  and  the  delicacy  of  the  human  touch  have  so  far  been 
found  necessary."  The  thread  unwound  in  these  processes  is  also  a 
waste  product,  called  "frisons,"  and  has  about  one- fifth  the  value  of 
reeled  silk.  In  good  working  about  four  times  as  much  silk  as  frisons 
is  produced. 


E 

/Or 


c 


!M 


\B 


^ 


Flii.  1. — Elements  ot'  the  mechanism  of  a  modern  silk  teel. 

"•The  elements  of  the  mechanism  of  all  modern  silk  reels  areessentially 
the  same.  They  are  shown  in  Fig.  1,  and  consist,  in  general,  of  a  basin, 
A,  in  which  is  a  perforated  steam-pipe,  P,  by  means  of  which  the  water 
in  the  basin  may  be  heated.  A  few  inches  above  the  surface  of  the 
water  is  placed  a  perforated  agate,  B.  The  cocoons  having  undergone 
the  three  operations  mentioned,  the  ends  of  the  filaments  of  four  or  more 
of  them  are  twisted  together  into  a  thread,  which  is  passed  through  the 
hole  in  the  agate.  From  this  it  runs  through  the  "croisure"  M,  which 
will  be  hereafter  explained,  and  over  the  guide  E  to  the  reel  at  F.  Be- 
tween E  and  F  the  thread  passes  a  guide,  G,  moving  to  and  fro  (in  a 
line  perpendicular  to  the  plane  ot  the  paper),  which  distributes  it  in  a 


broad  baud  over  the  Borfa< P  the  reel.    This  facilitates  the  drying  of 

the  silk,  without  whiob  the  gluten  would  bind  together  the  threads  of 
tlif  ^ u i-i 1 1  ;is  it  does  those  of  the  cocoons,  and  thus  ruin  its  commercial 
value.  The  shafl  of  the  reel  carries  ai  one  end  a  friction  wheel,  //. 
which  rests  on  tin-  large  friction  wheel  I.  thai  constantly  revolves  on  the 
shafl  N.  and  thus  motion  is  imparted  to  the  reel.  In  order  t«»  stop  the 
reel  it  is  o  ii\  neoessarj  to  raise  the  wheel  E  from  its  bearings  by  means 
of  the  lever  L.  Tins  movement  presses  the  wheel  against  the  brake- 
shoe  K,  and  lis  motion  is  at  oner  arrested. 

"As  has  been  said  above,  the  thread  is  passed  between  the  agate  and 
(he  reel  through  theoroisure.  The  making  of  the  oroisure  consists  in 
twisting  the  thread  around  itself  or  another  thread  bo  a->  to  consolidate 
its  constituent  filaments  and  wring  the  water  from  it  and  thus  aid  in  its 
drj  ing.  The  mode  of  the  formation  of  this  oroisure  tonus  the  principal 
distinguishing  mark  between  the  French  and  Italian  systems  of  reeliug. 
The  former  is  called  tin"  •  Chambou  system."     Bach  reeler  manages  two 

threads.     These  are  passed   through   separate  abates,  and  after   being 

bronghl  together  and  twisted  twenty  or  thirty  times  around  each  other 
are  again  Beparated  and  passed  through  guiding  eyes  to  the  reel.  Tin- 
other  system,  called  •  tavellette,' *  consists  in  passing  the  thread  up 
over  a  small  pulley,  Olownover  another,  l>,  and  then  twisting  it  around 
itself,  as  shown  at  .1/,  in  Pig.  1,  and  thence  to  the  reel. 

••The  cocoon  til  a  me  ut  is  somewhat  liner  in  the  flossor  beginning,  thick- 
ens at  the  point  of  forming  the  more  compact  pod,  and  then  very  gradu- 
ally diminishes  in  diameter  until  it  becomes  so  tine  as  to    be    incapable 

of  standing  the  strain  of  reeling,"  the  mean  sections  at  these  points  be- 
ing about  proportional  to  the  figures  30,  10,  and  25.     ••Therefore  a  thread 

which  is  made  up  of  live  new   filaments  bet ics  so  small  when  the  CO 

coons  from  which  it  is  drawn  are  half  unwound  as  to  require  an  addi- 
tion. This  addition  might  also  be  made  necessary  by  the  rupture  of 
one  of  the  constituent  filaments.  It  is  here  that  the  skill  of  the  oper- 
ator is  called  into  play.  When  her  experience  tells  her  that  the  thread 
needs  nourishing  fro  n  either  of  these  c  rases,  she  takes  the  end  of  the 

ti lament  of  one  of  the  coc  tons  which  lie  prepared  in  her  b  isin.  and.  giv- 
ing it  a  slight  snap  or  whip  lash  movement  with  the  index-finger,  causes 

it  to  wind  around  or  adhere  to  the  running  thread,  of  which  it  from  this 

moment  becomes  a  constituent  part.  This  lancing,  as  it  is  called,  of  the 
end  of  the  filament,  although  in  hand  reeling  performed  in  the  manner 
described,  is  also  accomplished  mechanically,  several  devices  having 
been  invented  for  this  purpose.  They  consist,  in  general,  ofa  mechan- 
ism (occupying  the  place  of  the  agate  B),  which  causes  a  small  hook 
to  revolve  in  a  horizontal  plane  about  the  running  thread,  and  to  twist 
around  it  any  end  of  the  filament  that  may  be  placed  in  the  path  of  the 
hook.     The  reeler,  seeing  that  a  new  filament  is  needed,  holds  the  end  of 

one  in  the  way  of  the  attaching  device,  and  it  is  automatically  caught." 

*  The  trade  name  ef  the  small  pulley  mentioned. 


56 

The  thread  of  "raw"  or  reeled  silk  is  excessively  strong,  ductile,  and 
elastic.  As  has  been  seen,  it  is  composed  of  several  double  filaments, 
drawn  from  as  many  cocoons.  In  common  with  other  clastic  threads, 
a  given  length  of  one  of  silk  will  resist  a  tendency  to  stretch  to  an  ex- 
tent proportionate  to  its  mean  section.  This  is  the  underlying  princi- 
ple of  the  serigraph.  The  mode  of  determining  the  irregularities  exist- 
ing in  a  thread  of  raw  silk  by  means  of  this  machine  is  as  follows:  The 
end  of  the  thread  is  brought  from  the  reel  or  bobbin  on  which  it  is  wound 


Fig.  2. — The  principle  of  the  seri^rapli. 

around  a  drum,  8,  (Plate  I),  thence  over  a  pulley,  R,  and  back  around 
another  drum,  T,  mounted  on  the  same  axis  as  S.  From  the  drum  T  it 
is  wound  on  a  reel.  The  drum  Tis  larger  than  S,  so  that  the  former 
winds  on  the  thread  somewhat  faster  than  it  is  paid  off  by  the  latter, 
and  thus  stretches  it.  In  this  manner  we  apply  a  constant  force  to  the 
pulley  R,  tending  to  draw  it  from  its  normal  position.  This  pulley  is 
attached  to  the  base  of  a  pendulum,  U,  which,  under  the  action  of  the 
force  mentioned,  is  drawn  from  the  perpendicular.  The  weight  of  this 
pendulum  overcoming  the  force  thus  applied  to  an  extent  inversely  pro- 
portional to  the  mean  section  of  the  length  of  thread  submitted  to  the 
test,  the  position  of  equilibrium  taken  by  the  pendulum  depends  upon 
and  is  an  indication  of  that  mean  section.  The  portion  thus  tested  is 
that  between  the  two  drums  8  and  T,  and  as,  through  the  constant 
action  of  the  machine,  successive  lengths  of  thread  occupy  the  position 
indicated,  the  pendulum  oscillates  through  a  course  which  depends  upon 
the  irregularities  of  the  thread.  These  irregularities  are  graphically 
recorded  by  a  pencil,  attached  to  the  pendulum,  upon  a  band  of  paper, 
which  moves  constantly  under  its  point. 

The  serigraph,  it  will  be  seen,  is  an  apparatus  for  continuously  meas- 
uring the  relative  size  of  any  thread  passed  over  its  drums  and  record- 
ing the  irregularities  in  its  size  on  a  band  of  paper. 

From  this  machine  to  the  automatic  reeler  was  but  a  slight  transition, 
easily  accomplished.  It  has  been  in  working  out  the  details  of  the  de- 
sired mechanism  that  the  greatest  difficulty  has  been  met  with.  The 
result  is  attained  iu  general  by  causing  the  pendulum   Z7to  close  an 


Bulletin  'l    i' 


_§_' 


.-.7 

electric  circuit  whenever  the  thread  becomes  bo  weak  as  to  permit  of  a 
certain  amount  of  stretching  under  the  tension  applied  t<>  it.  The 
electric  cnrrenl  due  to  this  circuil  closing  is  then  employed  in  releasing 
the  detenl  of  a  Bnitable  reeding  device,  bj  which  ;i  new  cocoon  filament 
Is  added  to  the  main  thread  and  its  size  augmented. 

In  the  operation  of  the  automatic  silk  reel  the  tin  cad  is  made  as  in  an 
ordinary  band  reel,  and  passed  through  the  centre  of  a  filament-attaching 
device,  B,  thence  through  theoroisure  M.   Thence, as  in  theserigraph,  it 

is  passed  around  a  small  drum,  S,  around  a  pulley,  R,  situated  at  t  lie  end 

of  a  pendulum,  /  .  which  is  called  in  the  reeler  the  control  l<  ver,  thence 
around  the  larger  drum  T,  and  in  the  ordinary  way  over  the  guiding 
pulley  /'.  to  the  reel.  On  the  end  of  the  control  iever  r  is  a  circuit- 
olosing  contact  piece,  a,  which  acts  when  the  pulley  B,  overcoming  the 
resistance  of  the  thread,  recedes  from  the  drums  Sand  '/'.  The  tension 
thus  resisted  by  the  thread  ma\  be  regulated  by  the  movable  weight  1 . 
or  an  equivalent  device. 

We  will  now  Buppose  the  thread  to  be  running  at  the  desired  size,  and 
that  the  tension  due  to  the  stretch  imparted  to  it  by  the  difference  in 
the  circumferential  speed  oi  the  two  drums  is  sufficient  to  keep  open  the 
circuit-closing  device  of  the  control  lever,  it  continues  in  this  condi- 
tion until,  through  the  diminution  in  the  size  of  the  constituent  filaments, 
or  the  rupture  of  one  of  them,  the  thread  falls  below  the  Standard,  and 

the  addition  of  a  new  cocoon  becomes  necessary.    Then  the  pendulum 

falls  back,  and  the  contact  at  a   is  closed. 

dust  above  the  water  of  the  basin,  with  its  edge  dipping  beneath  the 
surface,  is  a  cocoon  holding  device.  0.  This  apparatus,  usually  called 
the  magazine,  rests  on  a  support  which  is  mounted  on  a  shaft  around 
who>e  axis  the  magazine  may  be  rotated.  The  magazine  consists  of  a 
number  of  compart  mentS,  C,  situated  around  the  circumference  of  a  lower 
disk  and  a  number  of  small  pins,  <l.  mounted  on  a  parallel  disk  a  short 
distance  above  the  lower  one.      In  each  compartment  is  placed  a  cocoon 

previously  prepared  for  reeling,  while  its  filament  is  conducted  upwards 
and  wound  around  one  of  the  pins  d.    A  magazine  thus  tilled   is  sel 

upon  its  support  in  readiness  to  furnish  cocoons  to  the  running  thread 
as  desired.  Its  position  is  such  that  the  hook  of  the  filament-attaching 
device  passes  just  below  the  disk  boldingthe  pins  J.  and  in  such  a  way 
that  a  thread  passing  from  its  cocoon  to  the  pin,  which  tor  the  moment 
is  opposite  the  attaching  device,  will  tall  in  the  path  of  the  hook  and  be 
Caught  by  it  in  its  revolution. 

The  shaft  on  which  the  magazine  turns  is  connected  with  a  Bnitable 
\\^h\  movement,  IV.  which  consists  in  genera]  of  a  cam  to  which  a  rotary 
motion  may  be  given  by  a  proper  connection  with  the  Bhaftiug  of  the 
filature,  of  a  lever  to  which  the  cam  imparts  a  to  and  fro  motion,  and 
Of  a  magnCt  to  whose  armature  is  attached  a  detent  which,  when  no 
current  is  paasing,  prevents  the  rotation  of  the  cam. 

Now.  as  we  have  seen  above,  no  current  passes  through  the  electric 


58 

circuit  while  the  thread  is  at  its  standard  size  ;  for  under  such  condi- 
tions the  lever  is  so  held  by  the  thread  that  the  contact  at  a  is  kept 
open.  As  soon,  however,  as  the  thread  diminishes  in  size  the  lever 
recedes,  the  contact  at  a  is  closed,  and  the  current  passing  through  the 
magnet  of  the  feed  movement  W  causes  the  attraction  of  its  armature 
and  the  release  of  the  detent  holding  the  cam  in  place.  Upon  this  occur- 
ring the  magazine  is  advanced  one  step  and  brings  a  new  cocqou  fila- 
ment into  the  path  of  the  hook  on  the  filament  attaching  device,  which 
catching  it  up  twists  it  around  the  running  thread  and,  with  the  help 
of  its  natural  gum,  attaches  it  firmly  thereto,  at  the  same  time  cutting 
off  the  loose  end.  The  rotation  of  the  cam  is  so  timed  that  its  detent 
will  not  arrive  at  the  stop  on  the  armature  until  the  new  filament  has 
reached  the  controlling  drums  and  had  its  effect  upon  the  position  of 
the  control  lever.  In  the  reeling  of  fine  sizes  the  addition  of  one  fila- 
ment will  generally  be  found  sufficient  to  bring  the  thread  to  its  normal 
size,  though  it  is  less  apt  to  be  so  with  larger  sizes.  In  any  case,  how- 
ever, if,  when  the  rotation  of  the  cam  is  completed,  the  electric  circuit 
still  remains  closed  the  action  of  the  feed  movement  is  repeated  and  con- 
tinued until  the  thread  is  again  brought  to  the  normal  size. 

Owing  to  the  irregularities  in  a  thread  of  raw  silk  it  is  impossible  to 
obtain  any  measure  of  its  size  by  means  of  a  caliper  or  even,  with  any 
degree  of  ease,  by  a  microscopical  examination.  Merchants  are  there- 
fore obliged  to  content  themselves  by  approximating  its  size  in  the  fol- 
lowing manner :  They  measure  off  upon  a  suitable  real  a  skein  of  a 
given  length  (47G  meters)  and  obtain  its  weight  in  the  terms  of  an  arbi- 
trary unit  called  the  denier.  If  such  a  sample  skein,  for  instance,  is 
found  to  weigh  ten  deniers  it  is  called  a  '*  ten-denier  silk."  Xow  it  is 
found  that  the  exterior  thread  of  a  cocoon  of  the  yellow  Milanese  races 
has  a  value  of  about  two  and  a  half  deniers,  so  that  it  takes  four  such 
new  cocoons  to  make  a  thread  often  deniers.  When  these  cocoons  are 
half  unwound  the  size  of  the  thread  formed  from  them  would  be  but  about 
eight  deniers.  Now,  in  order  to  augment  the  thread  and  bring  it  to  the 
normal  size  we  are  obliged  to  add  another  cocoon  which,  with  its  new 
thread,  would  increase  the  combined  thread  to  ten  and  one-half  deniers, 
and  it  will  be  seen  that  from  cocoons  of  this  race  it  is  impossible  to 
augment  the  thread  by  smaller  increments  than  that  mentioned.  For 
this  reason  no  attempt  is  made  to  produce  an  absolutely  regular  thread 
of  silk,  but  reelers  are  content  if  the  variation  from  the  desired  mean 
does  not  exceed  two  deniers  in  each  direction.  In  hand-reeling,  where 
the  regularity  of  the  thread  depends  entirely  upon  the  ability  of  the 
reeler  to  estimate  its  present  size  and  to  add  a  new  filament  at  the 
proper  time,  only  the  most  expert  operatives  are  able  to  make  silk  with- 
in the  limits  named.  In  the  automatic  reel,  however,  all  this  is  taken 
out  of  the  bauds  of  the  operative  and  the  indication  of  the  need  of  a  new 
thread  is  made  by  the  delicate  serigraphic  measuring  device  of  the  con- 
trol movement.    Its  delicacy  is  such  that  when  working  under  good 


conditions  it  will  sometimes  ran  off  an  almost  theoretically  perfecl 
th  icad.  A  greal  advantage  exists  in  tins  i '.  i<  ■  t ,  as  thebeautj  of  a  piece 
of  woven  goods  depends  verj  largely  on  the  regularity  '>t'  the  raw  silk 
entering  into  its  composition. 

In  addition  to  the  devices  mentioned  above,  the  antomatio  reel  con- 
tains an  electrical  stop  movement  by  which  the  motion  of  the  reel  is 
arrested  upon  the  rnptnre  of  the  running  thread,  [t  consists  of  a  small 
taller  on  the  end  of  which  is  mounted  the  guide-pulley  at  /.'.  When  the 
thread  is  running  the  pulley  is  drawn  in  the  direction  of  the  reel  and  an 
electrical  contact,  /'.placed on  the  taller,  is  kept  open.    I  pon  the  rupture 

Of  a  thread.  boweVCT,  this  contact  is  closed  and  a  Mutable  nieclianical  de- 
vice at    7  is  set  in  operation  by  an  electro-magnet.    The  releasing  of  the 

lever  of  this  apparatus  enables  the  spring  on  the  bell  crank  £  to  act  on 

the  shaft  ot'the  reel  and  draw  its  friction  drum  away  from  its  bearing 
OD  the  large  drum  /,  and  thus  stop  its  motion  SO  quickly  that  the  end  of 

the  broken  thread  will  rarely  he  drawn  into  the  skein.  When  this  ap- 
paratus works  promptly  and  well  there  results  a  very  considerable 
saving  of  time  in  the  knotting  of  the  thread,  and  less  waste  is  produced 

thereby. 


I  X  DEX. 


Aletia  .11  gillaoea,  U. 
A  llograpi  i  obllnn  i.  1 1 

Alli.iliiii.initi.l  .i 
Allotl  ui  a\ ,  n.r,  1  I, 

bi  sasii  n>,  14. 

lacbnt,  l  I. 

megours 

trttli 
Ann  i  li  i«in,  '.'.' 
I'lil.  >l 

ini. m  moth,  18. 
Anili.Muvi.i  iimt  i kr n  for  Buffalo  Gnats,  29, 

I'l.n  OOUgTegatnS,  1  I  . 

Aphis  brassiere,  12. 
oltrnlli,  27. 

i  in  iinifi  i  . 
miiiiliit.r.  27. 

A  shin. .1.1.  Win.  II..  Report  mi  Insects  Injoriona  to 

i  ii  den  cropa  in  1  ioi  Id 
Aiitoin.itu-  allk  reel,  Berrel  - 
Bean,  Insects  affecting,  in  Florida,  21. 
Beam  <  m  Worm,  21. 
Distribution,  21. 
Earlier  states,  22. 
Injuries,  22. 
Bisulphide  of  carbon  for  squash  bor 
Botis  repetitalis,  15. 
Boti  j-tls  RUeyi,  11. 
Buffalo  Gnal 

nut  ui  injury  in  varion - 
ks  in  the  levees  the  cause  of  1 1 1 < ■  1 1-  alum- 
il.iii.  e 

ibutinn,  32. 
Finding  ..i  the  Ian  as,  30. 
Hi 

History  of  the  Injury,  31. 
N.itm .•  of  i belt  b  ■ 
N.iiui .  of  their  breeding  plai 
i ui  ions  before  the  srai . 
Kol  Injurious  belo*  the  month  of  Sod 

m.l  popatlon,  83, 
Report  on,  by  F.  M.  Webster,  2'.>. 
Reatoratlon  ..t  the  levees  probably  the  tru.. 

remed 
Swarms  of  Anthomyis  mistaken  fi 
graph)  .•■  the  infested  count: 
\',u  i. .in  .In e.  i  i emed  i 
Vitality  ui'  th.'-l.irv.i 
Cabbage  Aphis.  12. 

kton's  description,  12 
Enemies  and  pat 
Food-plants,  12. 
Injuries,  it. 

Introduced  from  Enro] 
lit.'  lint..  r\ ,  12. 
Cal>li  '  ill.itri.i,  1 1. 

Kni'\  rtiil.  1  t. 

oenron,  1 1 

s>  i  pons  l  ; 

to,  in   Florida,  9. 
Mini.— ti  a 
Pionea,  15. 

rimi.i,  li>. 

Distribution,  10, 
Enemies  and  parasites,  u. 
Food-plant  i 

Lve-histoi 
Remedies,  11. 

Plutella.  11,  12. 


i   in 
Carbolic  powdet  for  Cab  <.  1!. 

Cauliflowei  Botl  ■ 

i  tarapbron  >|, 

i  lonol  raohelus  oennphar 

i  !opid t.  Hum,  1  1. 

Coi  n.  Insect  ■  Injurious  t",  In  Floridl 
Bill  bi 
Mining  I 
Worm,  IS. 
l'n.  'i  n 
lujui  i, 

■  stalk  Bon  i.  16 
w... 

Corona  s|, 

I  '..it, ,ii  \\  oitn,  11. 

Cncnmbei  Fli  i  beel 

Cnrcullo-proof  nature  of  the  native  plum  ti 

( 'ynlpida  parasil  i.  on  Aphida, 

■  i i  it  i,  22, 

:.l  §p„  10. 

i  -  II  .  li.nalis.  18. 

Plant  Aphi  i 

Unti  ibuuoi 

Mi.  I.  ill  -to  n  a  description,  20. 
Parasites,  'Ji . 
Egg  Plant,  Insects  affecting,  in  Florida,  20. 

■  i  m  anasa 

aphidlphagua,  1 1 
19. 

sill.  1.  —  tin.  1  I. 

Knt. 'il..n  dlastal a 

ilia  itiphonophone,  21. 
Eudloptis  bj  alinata, 26. 

nitidalis,  24. 
Eudamna  pr.,t.  at 

aas  i  ..ln\  ii,  24. 

■  I  v  lis.  Ilk 

22. 
Florida,  insects  iaj  a  rrops  In,  9. 

I  l.n  In,  .  viii,.  Bon 

i  cerealeU 

I      Bean,  21. 

COI  D 

I  ..  plant,  2". 
M.  Ion, 28 
sh,  22. 
21. 

ito,  16. 
-   23. 
Marl.  •  {e  Bog,  15. 

Mi'liotlin  armigenv  15. 
Qemeroblua  sp.,  19. 

ter  fot  <  labbage  riusi.i.  11. 
Introduction,  7. 

ult i -t i  i.itn  ■ 

r  25, 
emulsion  for  Cabbage  i'lusia,  11. 
■   ibbage  Butterfly,  1".. 
Letter  of  transmitl 
Lime  for  <  Jab  >   11. 

Limoeria  obsoui  i   1 1,  12. 
Ifamestra  eheoopodU,  1". 
ii  Sp  .  17. 

alegoura  solai 

(61) 


62 


Mi  hum  ceto,  24. 
Melon  Borer.  26. 

I  lescriptive,  26. 

Distribution,  20. 

Injuries,  27. 

Parasites,  27. 
Melon  Plant-loose.  27. 

Distribution,  27. 

Enemies  and  parasites,  28. 

Food-plants,  27. 

Injuries,  28. 

Natural  history,  28. 

Remedies,  28, 

Synonymy,  27. 
Mnrgantia  histrionics,  15. 
(Tola  Borghiella,  16. 
CEbalns  pngnax,  16. 
Ortalis  sp  .  16. 
Oscinis  sp.,  22. 
Pachyneuron  allograpts,  15. 
apbidivora,  14. 
Pea.  insects  injurious  to,  in  Florida,  21. 
Phylloptera  oblongifolia,  22. 
Pieris  monuste,  15. 
protodice,  15. 
Pimpla  conquisitor,  27. 
Pionea  rimosalis,  15. 
Pluin  Curcnlio,  44, 48. 

It  prefers  the  native  Plum  for oviposition, 49. 

Larva' n  Hi  developing  In  the  native  Plum,  44, 49. 
Plum  trees,  foreign  and  native,  39. 

Curcnlio  larva-  uot  developing  in  tbe  native 
species,  44,  49. 

Failure     of    European   varieties    in    North 
America,  39. 

Fertilization  of  native  species  by  other  varie- 
ties and  species,  45. 

Native  species  and  their  failure  to  fruit,  40. 

Wild  Goose  Plum  in  the  South,  47. 
Plusia  brassicse,  10. 
l'lutella  cnicifcrarum.  12. 
Prionidus  cristatns,  16. 
Pyrethrum  for  Cabbage  Plusia,  11. 
Reduvins  Egg  Eupelmid,  24. 
Riley,  C.  V.,  criticism  of  Mr.  Wier's  report.  7.  50. 

introduction  to  the  Bulletin,  4. 

Letter  of  transmittal,  3. 
Saltpeter  for  squash  borer,  25. 
Scymnus  cervicalis,  15. 
Serrel's  automatic  silk  reel,  8,  52,  50. 

serigraph,  52,  56. 
Silk  reel,  elements  of  mechanism,  54. 
Serrel's  automatic,  8,  52,  50. 
Silkworm  cocoon,  how  it  is  spun  by  the  worm,  53. 

preparation  for  reeling,  54. 
Siphonophora  cucurbits,  20. 
Southern  Cabbage  Butterfly,  15. 
Sphenophorus  robustus,  16. 
Sphinx  Carolina,  17. 

Egg  Teleas,  18. 
5-maculata,  17. 


Squash,  insects  injurious  to,  in  Florida,  22. 
Borer,  24. 

Distribution,  21. 
Food-plants,  24. 

Injuries.  24. 
Parasites.  21. 
Remedy,  24. 
Bag,  22, 

Distribution.  22. 
Egg  Kncvrtid,  23. 

Teleiioinus.  23. 
Enemies  and  parasites,  23. 
Food-plants,  23. 

Injuries.  23. 
Life-history,  23. 
Vine  Borer,  24.' 

Distribution,  24. 
Food-plants,  24. 

Life  history.  24. 
Parasites.  25. 
Remedies,  25. 

Syrphus  Fly  Pachyneuron,  15. 
Ti  li  as  nphingis,  18. 
Telenomus  anasa-,  23. 
Telesilla  cinereola,  21. 

Tomato,  insects  injurious  to,  in  Florida,  16. 
Aphis,  ]s. 

Allotria,  19. 

Distribution,  18. 

Encyrtid,  19. 

Enemies  and  parasites,  19. 

Injuries,  19. 

Life  history,  18. 

Remedies,  19. 

Thomas'  description,  18. 
Stalk  Borer,  18. 
Worm.  17. 

Distribution,  17. 

Enemies  and  parasites,  17. 

Food-plants,  17. 

Injuries.  17. 

Life-history,  17. 

Remedy,  18. 
Trichogramma  pretiosa,  11,15,17. 
Tridactylns  minutus,  15. 
Trionyx  piceus.  13. 

rapae,  13. 
Triphleps  insidiosns,  22. 
Twelve-spotted  Diabrotica,  22. 
"Walker,  Ph..  description  of  the  Serrel  automatic 
silk  reel,  52. 

"Webster,  F.M.,  Report  on  Buffalo  Gnats,  29. 

Wheel  bug,  16. 

Wier,  D.  B.,  Report  on  the  Curculio-proof  nature 

of  the  native  Plums,  39. 
Zebra  Cabbage  Worm,  15. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  FLORIDA 


3  1262  09216  5843 


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